New research by the RAC has revealed the impact of Covid-19 on car usage in the UK.
Its 2020 Report on Motoring found motorists are more reliant on vehicles due to concerns about the safety of public transport.
Of those surveyed, 57% of motorists said having access to a car was more important given the pandemic, but only 31% reported that they had become more dependant. The RAC said this was not a surprising development due to the restrictions on movement.
In relation to public transport, over half (52%) said they would use public transport less in the future following the pandemic. The report concluded this was due to the potential for busy buses and train carriages, which could increase the spread of infection.
Furthermore, for the first time since 2002, fewer than half of drivers (43%) said they would use cars less even if public transport was improved. This was down from 57% in 2019.
Paul Tuohy, chief executive of Campaign for Better Transport, responded to the news that reluctance to use public transport is at its highest level in 18 years. He said: “We are already starting to see the consequences of returning to a car-based transport system with increasing congestion on our roads and poor air quality in our towns and cities.
“This report has highlighted the need to act now or risk losing our way on the road to a fairer, more sustainable transport network. The government must use the forthcoming spending review to ensure public transport is supported in the short term so that those people who need to use it can, as well as providing longer term funding to create an affordable, reliable, clean and safe alternative to driving.”
According to the RAC, drivers are currently more wedded to cars than they have been for some time. Its report featured government data that showed public transport use is still lagging behind car use in terms of recovering from pre-lockdown levels.
Theo De Pencier, non-executive director, Transport Focus said: “The challenge for central and local government and public transport operators to win back widespread confidence and patronage, thereby returning usage to pre pandemic levels, is starkly revealed.”
