“Messaging” and Public Transport in the COVID-19 environment

Abstract

Getting the message right has been an important task for public transport operators as the sector seeks to recover from the drastic fall in patronage occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic. Coming out of any lockdown or periods of restriction must be associated with public transport being still the mode that provides the greatest chance of a sustainable urban future. This paper looks at public transport trends in New South Wales during the first six months of 2020 (i.e. before and after the first wave of COVID-19), considers the “messaging” put in place and asks why On Demand Transport (ODT) seems to be bucking the trend when it comes to reversing the dramatic declines in public transport patronage that have been associated with COVID-19.