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

  • Fifteen charges up to 10 bikes at a time with new modular station
    May 22, 2023
    French micromobility company is offering e-bikes on short- and long-term rental
  • Tern and car2go team up for mobility in Italian cities
    June 2, 2014
    Urban transport specialist, Tern, is to partner with car2go, Europe’s leading car sharing service, bringing together car2go’s smart Fortwo coupés and Tern bikes to offer a flexible and environmentally-friendly alternative for urban mobility. The project currently operates in Milan, Florence and Rome but will expand as car2go enters new Italian cities. The agreement means that from now through July, Tern cycle owners can receive a free 30-minute driving bonus when they sign up for car2go at a car2go shop any
  • Cowlines MaaS app to be available in 62 cities in US and Canada
    December 6, 2018
    Mobility as a Service (MaaS) app Cowlines is to be rolled out across 62 North American cities following successful trials in Vancouver, Canada. The app, developed by Greenlines Technology, is expected to allow citizens to select the greenest, fastest and cheapest route by combining all modes of transportation. Riders can calculate the total cost of the trip, the length of the journey and its carbon footprint. Cowlines aggregates all transport options and measures the greenhouse gas emissions based on t
  • Boston begins free transit pilot
    April 7, 2021
    Massachusetts Bay Area Transportation Authority and Bluebikes passes on offer