16/10/2020

1/3 of Chileans will change their usual form of transportation by car or bicycle

This is one of the main conclusions of a complete study carried out by the Gonzalo Rodríguez Foundation and the Social Studies Department of the University of Chile, ISA INTERVIAL, with the aim of analyzing the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic will have on the way millions of people throughout the country will mobilize, as the plan for deconfinement advances in the different municipalities of Chile.

This analysis sought to identify the most widely used means of transportation - both in the Metropolitan Region and in other regions - prior to the restrictions imposed by the health emergency and after months of living with this virus. Thus, it was possible to obtain an x-ray of the means of transport that Chileans prefer and avoid as a result of the pandemic, the perception of the probability of contagion in various mobilization scenarios and the mobility trends that are now beginning to be reflected in the streets of the cities.

The study showed that about 70% of people think that it is very likely to be infected by public transport, with "Metro" and "Micro, bus and minibus" being the first and second most mentioned options, respectively. The trend of the results concludes that citizens will avoid public transportation in the near future (2020-2021). Being 66% of respondents who believe that the use of this means of transport will decrease.

In its place, respondents indicated the use of the car, walking, and cycling as the first three alternatives for mobilization. A trend that can already be observed on city streets, where the number of private vehicles has increased and the number of passers-by is increasingly significant after the lifting of quarantines in some sectors.

Another objective of the survey was to determine the perception of post-pandemic COVID-19 traffic casualties. Although vehicle flows decreased in the face of movement restrictions, this new scenario has led to reckless behavior by some drivers.

The study found that alcohol and speeding are emerging as the first options associated with traffic casualty deaths. When analyzed by socioeconomic segment, segment ABC1 believes that it is due to inattentive driving and cell phone use, while the other segments C2 and D3 associate it with driving under the influence of alcohol.

Meanwhile, in the current context and after being consulted about speeding by motorists, 88% include among the reasons for the lower circulation of vehicles on the streets, 81% for less supervision and 79% for the lower presence of public transportation on the roads.

INTERCITY TRAVEL

Another objective of the survey was to determine the perception of Chileans about their preferences regarding means of transportation for intercity travel.

The study found that for intercity travel by land, the option of using the car increased considerably after the arrival of COVID-19 in the country, over the bus, which was the most frequent.

While 47% reported bus travel before the pandemic, that figure drops to 27% post-decommissioning, increasing car use to 58%.