6 July 2020 weekly summary: the impact of COVID-19 on transport and mobility

By Patrick Troy / Updated: 06 Jul 2020
Submitted by Patrick Troy on 06 Jul 2020

Cities around Europe continue to support people's mobility post COVID-19, while there is further evidence of the value that people put on clean air.

A recent survey of 291 people carried out by Smart Home Charge – which sells electric vehicle chargers for homes – found that 72.5% of respondents rated good air quality as being ‘very important’, while 97% had noticed a positive impact on air quality since lockdown. Two thirds said that they would be willing to buy an electric vehicle to keep pollution levels down.

With more electric vehicle purchases, it might be possible to curb the recent rise in pollution that has been seen in some cities that have eased lockdown restrictions. Brussels, Milan and Paris have all recorded significant rises in nitrogen dioxide levels, with the European Environment Agency believing that this could be due to commuters opting for cars instead of public transport due to a fear of catching the virus.

In order to protect people, Slovenia has made face masks compulsory indoors in public places and on public transport. In Barcelona, local buses now require single tickets to be purchased on their app in order to help maintain the safety of its drivers.

To make active mobility more attractive, the Welsh government has launched a £15.4 million plan to widen pavements and create more space for cyclists. This is likely to be welcomed by many as data confirms the significant growth of cycling since the start of lockdown. In Germany cycling was the second most used mode of transport after walking on April 12, and cycling levels continue to remain high. In France cycling levels have increased by 27%, reflecting a 21% rise during weekdays and a 49% increase during the weekends. To keep up to date with the latest cycling news, see the European Cyclists’ Federation new tracker here.

Bikeshare company Slovnaft BAjk, based in Bratislava, is planning to expand and improve its scheme over the summer. It will add 20 more docking stations to the current 83 as well 150 new bicycles to the current 700.

For more in-depth information see the original articles on the following websites:

For a detailed list of online resources, guidance materials, and COVID-19 related transport and mobility discussions, please see links in the Eltis article Maintaining essential mobility during a pandemic.

See also the previous weekly summaries produced:

Photo Credit: © Angelina Bambina / Shutterstock.com - no permission to re-use image(s) without separate licence from Shutterstock.

Region: 
Europe-wide
Topic: 
COVID-19