Journeys made by public transport fell by 349m in first year of pandemic

The number of public transport journeys made in Scotland fell by 349 million during the first year of the pandemic, according to latest figures.

Data from Transport Scotland showed that public transport journeys fell by 70%, with 153 million public transport journeys made by either bus, rail, air, or ferry in 2020-21.

This was down from the 502 million journeys recorded in 2019-20.

However, the report said that cycling was one of the few transport types to demonstrate an increase in traffic, with estimates suggesting that on-road cycling increased by over half (63.5%).

Transport and travel habits in Scotland were significantly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, with restrictions on travel and daily activity in place for large parts of 2020.

In 2020-21, the data showed that 83% of public transport journeys were made by bus, 9% by rail, 5% by air and 3% by ferry.

However, bus journeys in 2020/21 were 65% down on the previous year, following on from a generally declining trend which had seen bus passenger numbers drop by 21% in the 10 years leading up to 2019-20.

There were 14.4 million passenger journeys on ScotRail services in 2020/21, a decrease of 85% compared with 2019/20 while the numbers of air and ferry passengers also fell.

The report stated: “Rail journeys, which had been steadily increasing in the years immediately prior to the pandemic, showed a larger drop of 85% over the year.

“Air passengers, which had increased by 28% in the 10 years prior to the pandemic, then fell by 76%. Ferry passengers showed a drop of 53% over the year.”

Motor traffic also fell in 2020 although the number of motor vehicles registered in Scotland (three million) was at an all-time high that year.

The distance travelled on Scotland’s roads was the lowest recorded since 1996.

In 2020, 37.9 billion vehicle kilometres were travelled, a decrease of 22% compared to the previous year, and 13% less than in 2010.

Although the number of vehicles registered was at a record high in 2020, the number of new vehicle registrations decreased by 27% that year, suggesting people are keeping vehicles for longer.

The report stated: “Whilst the significant decrease in 2020 will be linked to the pandemic, the number of new registrations had also decreased in the previous three years.

“This suggests that in recent years people have been buying fewer new vehicles, but retaining existing vehicles for longer.”

Friends of the Earth Scotland welcomed the rise in cycling.

Air Pollution Campaigner, Gavin Thomson, of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “These statistics confirm the huge increase in cycling we witnessed over the first year of the pandemic. People will cycle if they feel safe, whether that means fewer cars on the road or segregated cycle lanes.

“As we head into the elections, all local council candidates need to recognise there are huge benefits to their area of making it safe and easy to cycle.”

He added: “This data is a snapshot from the first year we faced huge societal changes due to Covid-19.

“We still don’t know what the world will look like on the other side of this pandemic, but there are opportunities to deliver on those early promises to build back better and greener.”