Covid-19 or Corona is changing many areas of life and also has a major impact on mobility offers. There are many winners in this sector, but just as many losers. During the pandemic, people would rather use their own car than travel by public transport, train or plane. As an alternative, at least in the big cities, there is still a bicycle or walking.
Many go on foot
According to a survey, 39 percent of Germans walk more during the Corona crisis than was previously the case. 33 percent cycle more often and 32 percent now use their own car more than public transport. Half of the respondents avoided flying as far as possible, and a quarter even completely avoided flying. 14 percent no longer take the bus and 13 percent do not take the train. The environment is certainly a winner in times of the pandemic, but not everywhere.
The big differences
The differences between the winners and losers in terms of mobility during the Corona crisis only become apparent at second glance. While the inner cities of the metropolises, such as Berlin, Munich or Hamburg, have more pedestrians, significantly more cars are driven in the rural regions. If you don't have the grocery store just around the corner, you have to get the car out of the garage and go shopping. In many rural regions it is sometimes ten or more kilometers to the nearest supermarket and they cannot be easily covered by bike or on foot.
The fear of the virus
It is obvious that public transport has fewer passengers, since many people fear infection with the virus. Instead, they take the car even for shorter trips, which does not necessarily ensure clean air in the city centers. In return, however, the car offers reliable protection against infection.