'I dread to think how many people bus driver infected with Covid-19' says Arriva employee in Milton Keynes

The driver, whose partner had tested positive for the virus, is now in hospital and struggling to breathe, it is claimed.

Fellow Arriva employees say the driver in question failed to go into isolation after their partner became ill and turned up for work as usual.

"I dread to think how many passengers may have been contaminated because of this," said one source.

He added: "As if this isn't bad enough, this driver was in close contact with several other drivers. Those drivers were also then out driving other buses. It scares me to think how this one stupid driver could have potentially passed this killer virus on to so many others."

The source has criticised Arriva for failing to take the potentially contaminated drivers off the road for isolation and instead keeping them working to keep the buses running.

"I felt this was something that couldn't be ignored so I thought maybe as a local newspaper you might pass on these details or report them or do something to stop this. It's so wrong."

An Arriva spokesperson said: “The safety of our passengers and colleagues is Arriva’s number one priority. We are being guided every step of the way by expert organisations such as the World Health Organisation and Public Health England on measures to put in place to protect our staff and passengers."

It is not clear whether the driver told Arriva bosses beforehand about their partner's infection. But sources say the driver in question did tell other drivers.

The MK Citizen contacted Arriva, whose spokesman said she could not comment on the incident because had to respect the privacy of all staff.

She said: "We are encouraging social distancing on our buses by cordoning off seats within two metres of the driver’s cab, ensuring all drivers’ cabs are fitted with protective screens for additional protection, and we have enhanced our deep cleaning regime to include all touch points."

The spokesman added: "We are also making every effort to ensure our customers are following the advice and guidelines by providing current government advice on all of our channels.

"In addition, all of our depots and garages have clear health and safety messaging throughout as well as 2 metre markings on the floor to exercise social distancing. We are continuing to encourage staff and customers to practice self-isolation should they or members of their households be experiencing symptoms.

"We continue to closely follow and monitor advice from the Government and Public Health England to adjust our approach as and when needed....We do not comment on an individual employees health and we absolutely respect the privacy of all Arriva staff."