Wednesday the 26th of April saw the unveiling of a new permanent memorial in honour of London transport workers who tragically died of coronavirus. Family, friends and colleagues were joined by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan and London's Transport Commissioner, Andy Lord.
Over 100 London transport workers have died because of coronavirus since March 2020. The workers were employed throughout the London transport network, including London's Tube, rail, buses, taxi and private hire services and continued their critical positions during the pandemic in order to enable transport services in London.
Both the Mayor and Commissioner paid tributes during the unveiling to remember the vital and selfless work that these people undertook in the face of a global pandemic which the London Transport Choir accompanied by song.
The memorial can be found on a pedestrian square on Braham Street in Aldgate and features a plaque which pays tribute to the London transport workers. Benches and new planting have also been added to the memorial, including a Foxglove Tree which is right next to the memorial. The space aims to offer a quiet place for friends, families and colleagues to remember and reflect on those who died.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “It's an honour to commemorate the more than 100 transport workers who lost their lives in the service of our city.”
“When the entire nation was gripped by fear, they did not waver. They ensured our phenomenal NHS workers could still care for our friends and family, our shop workers and delivery drivers could still meet our basic needs and our care workers could still look after our most vulnerable.”
“They were there for us and we are duty-bound to remember that we only prevailed because they persevered. This memorial will stand here for all time as an expression of the debt we owe for the sacrifice they made.”
London's Transport Commissioner, Andy Lord, said: “This memorial pays tribute to our colleagues who helped the capital when it was needed the most, but we sadly lost to coronavirus. Their tragic loss is devastating for us all and we owe them our gratitude and must never forget them.”
“They played a critical part in keeping London moving throughout the pandemic. While they paid the ultimate sacrifice, I have no doubt that they also helped save many lives by ensuring other key workers, such as doctors and nurses, got to work so they could, in turn, help to save others.”
