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Write an eassy on "important of transport during crisis"
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The current impact of the coronavirus pandemic can be felt by us all. With travel bans, shopping centers empty, social gatherings prohibited, and many individuals quarantined or simply afraid to go out - the disruption to normal life is considerable. One of the most impacted fields from the virus is, of course, urban transportation. This article will look at the effects of the coronavirus on urban transportation and the measures which are being taken to prevent further spread.
But first, let's recap: in December 2019, reports began to emerge of an outbreak of a new respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) from Wuhan, China. On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic. To date, there have been over 200,000 recorded cases in 166 countries and nearly 9,000 deaths.
In regards to urban transport, the coronavirus pandemic has already caused widespread disruption in many cities around the world. Read on to further discover the impact of COVID-19 on urban mobility and the measures transportation providers are taking to reduce transmissions.
In this article:
1. The impact on urban mobility by transportation service
Public transit
Ride-hailing and taxis
Alternative travel options
Food delivery
2. Measures by transportation providers and cities to reduce virus spread
Keeping spaces clean
Changing behavior
The use of technology
1. The Impact on Urban Mobility by Transportation Service
Public Transit
With transmission rates higher in crowded spaces, a busy bus or crammed subway carriage seems a likely breeding ground for the virus to spread. It’s therefore unsurprising that worldwide public transport use has rapidly declined. Some European countries have advised residents against taking public transport unless it's absolutely necessary. In China, even more, drastic measures were applied during the height of the epidemic where due to travel restrictions, public transport use virtually collapsed.
At the time of writing, the US is experiencing the early stages of the pandemic. However, a drop in passenger numbers can already be seen. In New York, ridership on the subway is dramatically down, March 11 saw 948,000 fewer trips than an average weekday in January. This trend is also being seen in other US cities, such as San Francisco’s Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), which has reported an 85% decline in ridership and a 50% reduction of economic activity. In some areas of the US, services are already now closing, such as city-run buses in Great Falls, Montana, which will not resume services until at least March 27.
Ride-Hailing and Taxis
For taxis and ride-hailing providers, the impacts of COVID-19 are less clear. With obvious nervousness surrounding public transit, passengers may instead choose to use these services. According to Marketwatch, ride-hailing giant Lyft reported in early March of no adverse impact and logged its largest-ever weekly revenue total.
However, with increasing workplace closures and the dramatic decline in aviation passengers, taxis and ride-hailing providers are beginning to feel the effects. Uber, which normally relies on 15% of gross bookings coming from air passengers, voiced concerns of potential impacts early on. Uber has now, alongside Lyft suspended pool rides in the US and Canada, and ride-hailing service GrabShare has taken this even further, suspending its services in certain areas of the Philippines until the public health situation de-escalates.
Alternative Travel Options
For those who still need to get around cities during the pandemic, alternative travel modes such as cycling and walking present a viable option.
According to The New York Times, there has been a dramatic increase in biking with the city’s bike share program seeing a 67% usage increase in March 2020 compared to the previous year. Chicago, too, has seen a dramatic rise with a nearly 100% jump compared to the same time the year before.
In Denmark, authorities have encouraged residents taking shorter journeys to walk or cycle instead of using high-risk travel modes such as public transit.
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