‘Public transport use may lessen for 6 months post-lockdown’

Fewer residents of the National Capital Region will use public transport over the next six months for fear of contracting Covid-19 and many will use personal vehicles, a recent analysis by research and advocacy organisation Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) claimed.

The CSE’s perception survey on changing commuting choices post-pandemic included over 400 middle and high-income groups in Delhi-NCR. The first results show public mood is changing.

According to the CSE, upper-middle-class and middle-class households were targeted in the current analysis because they have the option to switch from public transport to private vehicles and may have the disposable income to afford a second vehicle. The CSE is also conducting another study with a focus on commuters from lowerincome groups in the city.

The environment policy think tank said post-lockdown, health safety will be the top concern, followed by road safety, availability of mode options, comfort, the distance of trips, cost of journey and environmental consciousness. The analysis showed that preference for car ownership and usage will also increase in the short run.

The ongoing study shows that before the nationwide lockdown, as much as 37% of commuters used the Metro, 28%, personal vehicles and 7%, public buses.

In the next six months, the proportion of commuters using the metro is expected to fall to 16%, and buses, just 1%. The dependence on private vehicles, on the other hand, will increase significantly, from 28% to as much as 38%. Delhi government data shows that Delhi has a little over 11 million registered vehicles, of which 3.3 million are cars.

The CSE said that the share of cars and twowheelers will increase from 28 per cent to 38 per cent.