Report
COVID-19 and Public Transport:
An Examination of the Coronavirus’s Impacts and Steps Toward Revival in the Post-Pandemic World
2021 Volume 46 Issue 1 Pages 40-48
Details
2021 Volume 46 Issue 1 Pages 40-48
The COVID-19 pandemic has become an unprecedented crisis for public transport. Since the spring of 2020, when coronavirus infections surged, demand for public transport has plummeted, with that for intracity transport falling by half at its nadir and that for intercity transport―such as Shinkansen trains, airplanes, and highway express buses―plunging by nearly 90% at its lowest point. The lost demand has not recovered, and public transport operators continue to face a critical management situation amid the effects of the pandemic’s second and third waves. In this paper, I will examine these effects on the public transport business as well as on the movement of people from various perspectives. I will also discuss ways forward in reviving public transport in the post-pandemic world.
