Passenger confidence in public transport post-Covid continues to decline

The current advice to avoid public transport could have far-reaching implications on the way we travel, long after the Covid-19 lockdown ends. Carbon emissions could increase as people avoid public transport due to ongoing safety concerns and permanently switch to car usage instead. These results are from a representative survey of 1,500 adult UK residents undertaken by transport and research consultancy SYSTRA Ltd, between 4th-12th June 2021.

Key findings include:

• 39% predict they will make fewer public transport trips once all Covid-19 travel restrictions are lifted than before lockdown.
  • This increases to 59% of those who commute by rail or bus.
  • Londoners are more likely to predict making fewer public transport journeys with 62% saying they will use public transport less.
  • When the same question was asked in April this year, 20% of the public predicted a decline in their public transport use.
• 65% of those predicting a decline in use say they will replace their public transport trips with the car (either as a driver or passenger); 46% say they will walk more, 12% will cycle more and 11% will no longer make the journey.
• The introduction of a vaccine would reassure 37% of those who are predicting a decline in usage, who would go back to using public transport as before.
• Over the next month, the use of safety measures would make 68% feel safer to travel on public transport, with the most reassuring being:
  • limiting the number of people that can board,
  • access to hand sanitizer at stations/stops,
  • deep-cleaning of the interiors of vehicles, stations and bus stops, and
  • mandatory wearing of face coverings.

When appropriate, public transport operators and government will need to reassure passengers that public transport is a safe and environmentally friendly way of travelling.