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What is the post-pandemic future of transportation?

18 March 2021

The Capgemini Research Institute has published a new report, Shifting Gears, which investigates ‘how consumers see the car as a safe space’. 

Researchers believe that post-pandemic, people will continue to avoid public transportation – potentially increasing grey fleet use. 

A survey of more than 11,000 consumers from 11 countries (the US, the UK, France, Germany, China, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Italy, Spain, and India), in April 2020 found that just 44% of respondents would choose their car over public transport. When asked again in November 2020, the percentage of respondents favouring their own private vehicle shot up to 78%. 

Results from the November 2020 survey also show that 87% of respondents felt that their safety and physical wellbeing, and that of their family, would be best served through a personal vehicle. This is up from 57% in April 2020. 

The report said, “With multiple COVID19 waves and emerging new mutations, coupled with renewed lockdown restrictions, consumers prefer personal mobility over shared or public transport”.

A comparison of personal and public transport showed that, whilst the use of a personal vehicle was the most popular method of transport pre-pandemic, the use of public transportation such as buses, trains or the subway dropped by 13% from normal by April 2020. The data also showed a positive increase in the number of people who had taken up micro-mobility, such as walking, starting at 19% pre-pandemic and reaching 32% by April 2020. 

This continued shift in preference toward personal means of transport has resulted in purchase appetite growth, with 35% of consumers expressing interest in buying a personal car in April 2020 and at 46% in November 2020. 

Managing director of FleetCheck Peter Golding said, “Grey fleet already outnumbers conventional company cars by a ratio of around six-to-one and this research indicates that proportion could increase over the next year.

“This will have all kinds of implications for employers – ranging from potentially greater demand for at-work parking through to a need to upgrade (grey fleet) safety inspection procedures.”

We at Marshall Leasing are pleased to be able to support our customers with the management of their fleets during this period of uncertainty. If you have any questions or would like the support of our expert fleet managers, please do not hesitate to contact us at email info@marshall-leasing.co.uk or call us on 01480 414541.

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