The Covid-19 crisis has shown how essential public transport is to guarantee access and continuity of basic services. During the lockdown, all over the world, the public transport supply was maintained to ensuring the mobility of essential front-line workers.
Despite the lack of scientific evidence, many governments, relayed too often by the media, have called for people to avoid using public transport and to travel instead by car, bike or walk. This has impacted people´s behaviour and the public perception of feeling at risk in public spaces, including public transport.
Today, there is enough evidence to demonstrate that, when measures recommended by the health authorities are implemented, the risk of catching on Covid-19 in public transport is very low. If we recognise that zero risk doesn’t exist, public transport remains one of the safest ways to move around the city and keep cities alive. With the right measures, public transport is Covid-safe.
The article is available on Union Internationale des Transports Publics (UITP) website and by clicking the link below:
https://www.uitp.org/publications/public-transport-is-covid-safe/