At the lowest point in 2020, many cities around the world experienced more than an 80% drop in public transport ridership. “It’s an understatement to say that with many residents working from home, avoiding mass transit, and vast changes in local transit services, the way people travel within their cities has changed,” the report, titled 2020 Global Public Transport Report, notes.
During the “circuit breaker” last year, the public transport sector took a huge hit from the plunge in ridership. Now, even with Phase Three of reopening of the Singapore economy, ridership is still low as work-from-home (WFH) arrangements have slashed the need to commute. Furthermore, with a 10.30pm no-more-alcohol ban strictly enforced, the nightlife scene remains gloomy, dampening the demand for taxis.
This phenomenon is not just prevalent in Singapore. Israeli mobility app provider Moovit has found that 40% of people globally has cut back on public transport rides, with 8.5% completely avoiding public transport since the Covid-19 pandemic started.
