Unions have called for action on PPE and social distancing for highways and transport staff after 10 public transport workers in the capital died from COVID-19 over the last few days.
London mayor Sadiq Khan said that eight of them were bus workers, one worked for Transport for London (TfL) and one for London Underground.
'They are in my thoughts and prayers and my condolences to their families, and it reminds us actually one of the heroic frontline workers are transport workers,' Mr Khan said.
'We have 25,000 bus drivers, more than 25,000 people who work for Transport for London doing their best to keep public transport running for those essential key workers who need public transport to get to work and back home again.
'Even though we'be got record number of staff off because they themselves have COVID-19 symptoms or they are having to self-isolate, we are managing to have almost 90% of our buses running and more than 55% of our Tubes running and a large number of trams and overground as well.'
He reiterated TfL's message for the public to not travel on public transport unless a key worker.
Highways and transport staff have themselves been designated key workers, but should still practice the two-metre social distance rule wherever possible, the government has said,
Train drivers' union ASLEF has called for London Underground to make 'immediate arrangements to supply staff with enhanced PPE, including disposable masks and gloves and instructions on their correct use'.
However according to reports, workers have been told there is no PPE to give them.
District organiser Finn Brennan wrote to London Underground management with a list of key requests to help protect workers' safety, in which he also raised concerns about social distancing on the Underground.
In highways, the Unite union said maintenance workers were being prevented from following social distancing guidelines.
The union said: 'While in some depots, canteens and mess areas have been closed, workers are still operating in two and three-person crews, travel together in cabs and also cannot social distance while on site.
'Unite understands that it's essential that emergency work such as repairing barrier damage, filling potholes, clearing up spillages and fixing boundary fences where there is nearby livestock needs to continue.'
However, it called for cyclical maintenance and litter picking to be suspended.
Unite argued that if work was reduced to emergencies only, workers could single crew.
'On some contracts, Unite has secured agreement that there will only be two workers on sites and there will be no rotation in work gangs. Access to canteens and locker rooms will be on a coordinated basis and that if workers raise health and safety issues, they will not be sent home without pay,' the union said in a statement.
Unite national officer for construction Jerry Swain said: 'Highways maintenance employers need to make far greater efforts to ensure that social distancing is applied at work.'
The union called on the Department of Transport 'to intervene and ensure that its agency puts the safety of its workforce first'.
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