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THE impact of COVID on the use of transportation options has been unprecedented and expected to affect consumer habits for a significant time, according to a survey by YouGov.

The retraction from driving shows no age discrimination, with 43 per cent of survey respondents aged 18-24 years saying they are driving less now compared to before the pandemic.

It was higher for those aged 45-54 (48 per cent) and aged over 55 years (55 per cent) while those aged 25-34 years said they were driving 42 per cent less.

“Globally, nearly five in 10 of those surveyed across 17 key markets claimed they drove less,” the survey said.

“This was most pronounced among the oldest cohort, with the percentage of those impacted increasing among every sequential age cohort.”

Of COVID, the researchers found that consumer behaviors about transport were disrupted “and we anticipate some of these new behaviors will persist into the future.”

YouGov, which is a UK-based global research data and analytics company and not anything to do with the MyGov of Australian government agencies, held the research into mobility in 17 markets and drew responses from 19,000 people.

It’s International Automotive Report 2021 covers global markets including Australia, China, UAE, India, the US, UK, and the major European countries.

Through this diverse group of countries, the greatest proportion of respondents (59 per cent) said they would not change their need for a personal vehicle although a third (32 per cent) stated a lesser or no need for a personal vehicle.”

“Whether it is a matter of convenience, safety, or otherwise, people still plan to have a personal vehicle,” YouGov said.

YouGov said that this response “bodes well for the automotive industry.”

“But the new set of motivations for (wanting) a personal vehicle will be important to consider as business managers think through product design, promotional activity, range, and flexibility of mobility options,” it said.

“There is also a relationship between age and perceived need. The youngest age group perceives slightly less need for a personal vehicle than the oldest age group.

“The youngest group considers a wider range of options for their personal vehicle needs.” 

One key element was that the intention for consumers to use public transportation was substantially less in emerging markets such as India, Indonesia, and Mexico.

This, the survey found, will have a major impact on the environment, traffic congestion, and infrastructure in metropolitan urban areas in these countries.

The survey also found that driving behavior was “drastically impacted” as a result of the pandemic.

“Behavioral changes from consumers such as postponed plans, revised budgets, and different model preferences have been seismic and naturally altered the way they see and use mobility,” it said.

“The work-from-home world and a general reduction in social interactions have re- shaped how consumers move and how often we move.

“Less driving across the board had several unintended positive and negative consequences.

YouGov found that ridesharing was hit particularly hard “as people opted to take alternative forms of transportation that allowed them to socially distance themselves and protect their personal safety space.”

“Shared vehicles as a platform will require new user acquisition to sustain hyper growth, yet they are still in the early adoption phase in many markets and consumer sentiment toward this service has been impacted by COVID-19,” it said.

“Ride-hailing, as a transportation option, requires service providers to alleviate the customer’s concerns about the vehicles’ safety and cleanliness.”

YouGov said that China is a leader in adoption of the car sharing services and was the only country with the strong consumers’ intention to use these services in the future.

It said that new-user acquisition will be crucial to continue the growth of ride sharing.

“With several major Western European markets and the US lagging in adoption and lower intention to use in the next 12 months, this will be an industry to continue closely monitoring consumer behavior,” it said.

“For the car-sharing services industry to become mainstream, a personal vehicle ownership model will require greater growth alongside the indicators that show sentiment is changing across the 17 markets surveyed.”

By Neil Dowling

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