The decline of public transport during the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of the 9-euro-ticket in the summer 2022

Abstract

Local public transport is suffering particularly from the consequences of COVID-19. No other everyday means of transport has experienced such a drastic decline in transport demand. Based on the public transportation situation prior to Corona, the changes during the COVID-19 pandemic and possible long-term consequences of the pandemic are described. On the basis of descriptive and multivariate analyses, the paper describes the changes in mobility behavior and in the use of public transport differentiated by sociodemographic and spatial characteristics. The paper answers four questions: to what extent has the use of public transport decreased, what are the main reasons, which groups of people have changed their behavior and what behavior can be expected in the long term. The paper ends by identifying possible courses of action to turn the negative effects in a sustainable direction.