摘要: |
The Covid pandemic has wrought unprecedented changes on the public transport network. Official government statistics show that at its lowest level, demand for buses fell to just 10% of normal at one point, and bumped along at not much more than that for several weeks in spring 2020. It is fortunate that the governments of the UK realised that a minimum level of bus service was necessary to keep key workers moving, and each has provided enormous amounts of funding to ensure essential routes kept running. Rail patronage has been affected even more acutely, bottoming out at 4% or 5% for most of spring 2020. Strongly impacted by a loss of office-based commuters, the sums provided in government support make those for bus services look like a drop in the ocean. |