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

  • Why New York MTA needs $12bn – now!
    September 23, 2020
    Memo to US government: Public transit has been put under severe strain by Covid-19 – and New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority is sounding the alarm
  • AECOM to design Singapore’s high speed rail infrastructure
    February 8, 2017
    Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) has appointed AECOM Singapore to conduct the advanced engineering study (AES) for the complete design of the high speed rail (HSR) infrastructure within Singapore. This includes providing architectural, civil, electrical, mechanical and other design services required for the Jurong East terminus, tunnels, and the bridge across the Straits of Johor. The Kuala Lumpur-Singapore HSR is a strategic project between the Governments of Malaysia and Singapore that aims t
  • Uber enlists MV Transportation drivers to pick up disabled passengers
    November 23, 2018
    Uber is adding drivers from a specialist company to its app in a bid to provide more wheelchair-accessible vehicles (WAV) to disabled passengers in the US. MV Transportation specialises in providing on-demand transportation to people with disabilities and older passengers. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says there are not enough drivers on its platform who use WAVs. He believes the collaboration will allow riders in wheelchairs to be picked up within 15 minutes on average for trips in New York City, Bosto
  • Change in the air for Brazil WiM
    May 7, 2021
    Recent changes to weighing standards and legislation in Brazil allow for expansion of Weigh in Motion technology in an attempt to address some familiar challenges