While public transportation riders are ready to get back to hopping on trains, busses and subways, respondents in Visa’s “Future of Urban Mobility Survey” have pandemic-era expectations that are anticipated to become part of a new post-pandemic normal.
The nine-market global mobility study released on Thursday (July 29) shows contactless payments, masks and social distancing are on the minds of commuters making plans to return to the workplace after more than a year of COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions.
Some 84 percent of respondents that largely stopped using public transportation when the pandemic took hold in March 2020 indicated that they will get back to their pre-COVID level of ridership, but with a few caveats.
Some 68 percent of respondents said they are very likely to wear a mask on public transit even if not mandated to do so. Some 39 percent are planning to minimize contact with common surfaces.
Further, contactless payment methods and ticketing are important to 88 percent of transit commuters — and expected. Over one-third of Gen Z and millennial respondents use public transportation as their main way to get around — than any other demographic. Over half of millennials reported using public transit for commuting roundtrip to work and running errands.
“The bigger need for accelerated global accessibility of open loop transport payment systems” prompted Visa to team up with the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) to develop the Urban Mobility Open Payments Forum.
“The new forum will be aimed at helping cities create efficient, inclusive and sustainable door-to-door travel experiences, enabled by simple, convenient and secure open loop payments systems,” according to a Visa press release.
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