'Only 21% Indians want to use public transport'
New Delhi: In a startling revelation, a report from the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM) has found out that only 21 per cent of Indians are looking to continue using public transport for their commute needs, with a whopping 73 per cent responding that they would prefer to use their own vehicles (either 2-wheelers or 4-wheelers).
The figure of 21 per cent still opting for public transport in 'Unlock' India is a whopping 34 per cent lower than the pre-lockdown levels of 54 per cent. And the trend is translating into auto industry sales, with car sales in the country touching 197,523 units in July 2020, 69 per cent more than the previous month and just 1 per cent less than July 2019.
The last six months have clearly seen India change the way it lives and conducts business, with the COVID-19 pandemic having a profound impact on our lives, completely altering the way India and Indians live.
Along with businesses such as hospitality, entertainment, IT services and aviation, the public transport sector was amongst the first to bear the brunt of the panic caused by the pandemic.
With lockdowns catching on and people in panic mode, the Government was forced to suspend public transport across cities countrywide. During February-March 2020 itself, the Google Mobility Report tracking visitors to public transit locations reported a decline of 60-90 per cent in traffic.
As per a World Bank-International Association of Public Transport (UITP) study on the impact of COVID-19 on public transport in India, passenger traffic reduced by 80-100 per cent during the lockdown, whereas, the economic fallout to bus operators alone was to the tune of Rs 69,000 crore. Though there has been gradual recovery to the extent of 40-70 per cent since the period of Unlock, the traffic pattern has shifted (at least temporarily) to increased use of private cars and bikes.
The findings above are part of a report released by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM), along with its knowledge partner, Primus Partners.
