Dr Enrica Papa, Course Leader for the Transport Planning and Management MSc course, and Nicole Badstuber, Visiting Lecturer in Transport Policy and Governance, have written an article for The Guardian about the future of travel after lockdown.
Dr Papa and Badstuber wrote: “With fears of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 running high, many people are avoiding public transport. In the UK, as elsewhere in the world, the number of trips plummeted from the start of lockdown on March 23, with public transport being hit particularly hard. Passenger numbers on buses and national rail dropped to around 10% and 8% of their pre-pandemic levels, respectively.”
They added: “Public transport capacity will remain low in the coming months, to ensure everyone can socially distance on buses and trains. Meanwhile, cars offer a mobile cocoon, allowing drivers to isolate themselves while on the move. This could reinforce the trend towards car travel, changing travel behaviour for long after the pandemic.”
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