In March, the government advised everyone to avoid non-essential travel on public transport. Boris Johnson has advised people to return to offices and the UK is slowly opening up, but the way people travel around in the capital seems to have changed for the foreseeable future.

In order to assess how Londoners have moved through the city during 2020, the peer to peer car-sharing platform hiyacar has looked at a combination of data to reveal how people have been travelling as well as how they will continue to travel post lockdown.

hiyacar’s research analyses the change in trends using the following datasets:

hiyacar’s platform sign-ups

Citymapper’s app usage and tracked journeys

Apple Map’s requests for directions by driving, transit and walking

Google Maps mobility trends for transport hubs such as the underground, bus and train stations

Car sharing
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The research has revealed that peer to peer car sharing usage by Londoners increased by almost 100% in 2020 so far. Whilst public transport was out of bounds for most, this was a great method of moving around for key workers. During lockdown hiyacar also introduced a ‘free for NHS workers’ initiative to ease any worries that those on the front line were having about public transport.

As we move out of lockdown, the anxiety around public transport still remains which means its usage is only increasing slightly. Consequently, car sharing is set to remain a popular choice as we come out of lockdown. This also means a reduction in car ownership (meaning fewer cars parked idly for 96% of their life), fewer cars on London’s roads and, ultimately, lower emissions in the city.

Apple Map’s mobility trends

This report reflects requests for directions in Apple Maps, whether it be driving, public transport or walking. During lockdown, the largest decrease was naturally seen in the use of public transport, which hit as low at -99% of the usual baseline in April. However – as hiyacar’s data also reflected – driving has continued to remain in higher demand during this unusual time, and is still only -12% of the usual baseline in July. Conversely, walking and public transport are both at -45%.

CityMapper usage

Citymapper’s estimated app usage and journeys tracked illustrates how movement in the city has decreased. In April, usage dropped to as little as 6%, compared to 102% in January. Although this report does not specify the mode of transport being tracked, citymapper is generally used by those who are using public transport.

Google Map’s mobility

Google’s Map’s mobility report analyses trends for places that are public transport hubs, such as underground, bus and train stations. In April the usage of public transport was -85% of the usual baseline. In July, the usage increased to around -57 – meaning Londoners are still adhering to government advice by avoiding public transport where possible.

Co-founder and CEO of hiyacar Graeme Risby said: “It’s been quite something seeing how people have come together to help one another and their local community during COVID. Many more car owners are finding their car is sitting idle and sharing it with a neighbour is not only a great way to make additional money, but also to help out somebody in their community allowing them to travel safely. We work closely with our owners and drivers to ensure all precautions are being followed with regards to car cleaning and handover. Our keyless technology has been a huge enabler in these times of social distancing”