Skip to main content

Moovit: global public transit use down ‘up to 90%’

Public transit usage round the world has fallen off a cliff since coronavirus pandemic lockdown measures took hold, according to new research.
By Adam Hill April 3, 2020 Read time: 1 min
Public transit usage is down nearly 90% in Turin, says Moovit (© Wirestock | Dreamstime.com)

Mobility as a Service specialist Moovit has released a report tracking the decrease - relative to typical usage - from 15 January, prior to Covid-19 taking hold outside its epicentre in China.

As of 2 April, usage has fallen by nearly 90% in Italian cities such as Milan, Turin and Rome and in the Spanish capital Madrid – the two European countries so far hit hardest by the virus. Figures from half a dozen French cities show a fall-offs between 83% (Paris and Marseille) and 85% (Bordeaux).

The Portuguese cities of Porto (83%) and Lisbon (75%) have also seen significant drops.

In the US, ridership in San Francisco fell 76%, 72% in Seattle, 69% in New York and Boston, 64% in Los Angeles and 59% in Washington, DC.

Elsewhere in the world, the drops are revealing: public transport ridership is down 91% in Kuala Lumpur, 84% in Tokyo, Japan, 75% in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 67% in Sydney, Australia, and 53% in Hong Kong. In Singapore, it is holding up relatively well, falling just 34%.

In Brazil, where president Jair Bolsonaro’s approach to Covid-19 public health measures has been viewed by many other countries as too relaxed, ridership was down 62% in Sao Paulo and 59% in Rio de Janeiro.

Click here for more cities.

 

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • TriMet and PGE use wind to power e-buses in Portland
    April 25, 2019
    Authorities in Oregon, US, are embracing wind power as a means of meeting transport emissions commitments. TriMet (Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon) has joined forces with Portland General Electric (PGE) to power its all-electric buses with wind energy. TriMet says the move supports its ambition to run a non-diesel fleet by 2040. Maria Pope, PGE president, says: "This all-electric bus line is a sustainable transportation option for the community and another step closer to a cle
  • Lyft pulls out of six US cities
    November 25, 2019

    Lyft is withdrawing its scooter operations from the US cities of Nashville, San Antonio, Atlanta, the Phoenix area, Dallas and Columbus.  

    A company spokesperson told TechCrunch “We’re choosing to focus on the markets where we can have the biggest impact. We’re continuing to invest in growing our bike and scooter business but will shift resources away from smaller markets and toward bigger opportunities.”

  • Remix urges urban transport planners to Explore
    June 11, 2020
    Transport planning specialist Remix has launched a tool designed to help cities and transit agencies to reshape systems as the global pandemic changes mobility needs.
  • Full 5.9 GHz needed to stop 'devastating' deaths
    January 26, 2022
    ITS America and AASHTO again argue on V2X safety grounds against FCC spectrum decision