There's no doubt that mobility won't be the same after the lockdown. The debate is about the extent of the changes, whether they'll be temporary or here to stay.
These changes will be a consequence of the variation in habits and priorities in three aspects: work modality, means of transportation and location of housing .
Working modality
At this time, employees of most large companies are teleworking. (81%), but what will happen after the lockdown ends? Studies by analyst firms like Gartner indicate that this figure will drop to 40%, although it will still be much higher than what we were used to before the pandemic.
How will this affect mobility? It will clearly minimize the amount of transportation to work and even expand residential options, considering housing options outside the urban core.
We will make fewer trips to our workplaces
Means of transport
A negative aspect of this pandemic for the environment and our wallets will be that, at least in the initial stages, public and group transportation will suffer a recession due to fear of contagion .
Due to capacity restrictions and other safety measures, public transportation will only be able to accommodate 30% of the ridership it carried before the pandemic.
Given these circumstances, in many cases, people will have to opt for individual means of transportation . Supporting this theory is Ipsos and its survey of the Chinese market: "Before the coronavirus, only 34% of the population surveyed in China opted to use a private car. However, the pandemic has caused this number to rise to 66%. Thus, using public transportation has gone from being the first option for respondents at 56% to only 24%."
Within individual transportation, some specialists predict a significant increase in two-wheeled vehicles (motorcycles, mopeds, bicycles, and scooters) . This represents a new challenge for cities, which will have to adapt their spaces to achieve safe coexistence between cars and these new modes of transportation.
We will use private vehicles more.
Location and type of housing
In this epidemic, it has been seen that, as is logical, places with high population density have registered higher infection rates, that pollution can be a cause of increased mortality in the event of illness, and that in situations of confinement or limitation of social life and leisure options outside the home, it is more "comfortable and desirable" to be in a large house with a terrace or garden than in a small apartment.
This circumstance, as some real estate portals already support with figures, is leading to greater interest in larger properties with terraces or gardens, even if this means moving away from urban centers.
Our trips will be longer
Summary
This exceptional circumstance we are experiencing will change our priorities and our way of working, which will mean fewer commutes, longer journeys, and increased use of private vehicles .
