One thing is clear: global, local and national transport have noticeably changed due to the global pandemic. Mobility will be different in the future than it has been before. But who benefits from the corona-induced changes in Germany and how will mobility change going forward?
Especially in cities, more and more people are switching to biking as a mode of transport following the recommendation of the World Health Organisation to avoid more-crowded means of public transportation. Biking is also beneficial in that it is physical activity that strengthens the immune system and lungs, increasing the body’s ability to fight viruses.
It is already clear that the future of mobility in urban areas is bicycles and scooters. In response to the rising popularity of these forms of transport, as well as to comply with laws regulating space between bike and car lanes, wider sidewalks and bike lanes are being prioritized in urban planning. Many cities are accompanying narrower car lanes with lower speed limits of 20 or 30 km/h. Additionally, an increasing number of cities are implementing a ban on cars overtaking bikes on roads.
To be clear, this change is not just coming about because of the coronavirus, but rather also because these modes of transport reduce air and noise pollution and improve overall quality of life for city residents. This could have significant environmental benefits as currently, cities are responsible for 80 percent of worldwide CO2 emissions. Not to mention, the number of car accidents can be significantly reduced with more bikes and scooters on streets.
In rural areas, however, cars are still the dominant mode of transport. More than two thirds of Germans this summer want take a trip by car. Furthermore, during the corona crisis, driving became the preferred method of transport for over 65% of rural populations. This dominance of cars may continue due to the German government’s economic stimulus package that includes buyer’s premiums for electric cars. Many are viewing these subsidies as an opportunity to replace their old cars with newer, greener cars.
So where does that leave the public transportation that was seen as the future of green mobility? Since the beginning of the pandemic in March, the usage of public transportation has decreased by 50%. Instead of viewing this as a loss, however, this presents new opportunities to modernize public transport in Germany. This modernization should take into account the public’s preferences for clean, safe, flexible and efficient transport. This is also an opportunity to further develop mobility options as digitalization becomes more widespread.
For examples of these improvements to mobility offers, Germany has to look no further than two of its closest neighbors: Austria and Switzerland. Starting in 2021, Austria will offer a national ticket for public transport that costs only three euros per day. In Switzerland, the railway company already offers a subscription that combines electric car services with public transport.
Green and flexible mobility is the future of transportation, and we must capitalize on the opportunity being presented to make this transition.