Australians do appear to be changing their behaviour in response to the spatial distancing and quasi-lockdown measures imposed by the state and federal governments over the past weeks. The chart below shows that the number of trips taken by people Melbourne and Sydney has fallen to about 25 per cent of normal.
But the number of trips has fallen further in other international cities with tougher spatial distancing restrictions. It is hard to believe that these Australian travel patterns reflect compliance with an injunction to stay at home except for essential trips.
Australians must be more compliant with spatial distancing measures…
Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.
From SMH too
City activity drops to 20 per cent, but other places better at staying home
People in Sydney and Melbourne have cut their travel to 20 per cent of ordinary levels this week, The Sydney Morning Herald’s Pallavi Singhal reports using data from global transport app Citymapper.
Movement in cities in lockdown such as Rome has dropped to as low as 4 per cent. But, at the same time, places such as Singapore have managed to control the spread of COVID-19 while maintaining movement at about 62 per cent of normal levels.
Hundreds of people were out and about at Manly this morning.
Earlier this morning, we put out a poll asking if the readers of this blog thought Australians were doing a good job of social distancing. After 4000 responses, 89 per cent of you said we weren’t.
It’s hopeless at the moment… still lots not really understanding or dismissing the whole affair
GramusMEMBER
My trip to the shops was shocking.
No one has any idea what is coming.
Stephen Morris
No doubt Transurban will soon be demanding a taxpayer subsidy to compensate it for loss of profits.
The Golden Rule of Australian Privatisation: “Private Profit. Public Risk.”
DominicMEMBER
There was an article I saw earlier about the cruise ship industry — another major corporate tax-dodger, now demanding a taxpayer bailout.
“To save jobs”! (Think of the children!)
That reminds me of terrorists who use civilians as human shields
DivyaMEMBER
oh please please please. Would give me great pleasure see them go bust.
DominicMEMBER
Deary me, now we have too much infrastructure — can we get rid of some of it and build units, do you think?
Stephen Morris
“Asset recycling”
Just the other day they ripped up the road outside our house and re-laid it in a new suburb(!)
PeachyMEMBER
They took away your road and gave it to a new suburb?
Hehehhe nice.
IvanMEMBER
now we have too much infrastructure
There is the living space under the bridges, forward planning at it’s best.
Timmeh
Bailout for Transurban incoming.
JimsCB
It will have to cut the dividend first.
PlugMEMBER
Roads in North Brisbane (well just the Redcliffe Peninsula) are still quite busy. Shops are slow. Overall in SEQ, Public Transport trips are down 70% from a week ago and trending down. I’ve heard that we are about to get a Saturday timetable on all modes of Public Transport for the foreseeable future.
GlendaFMEMBER
Probs Scott Charlton (Transurban CEO) has a nice little clause in the NSW govt Toll contracts which includes minumium number of cars, and if not met will be supported by the govt coffers.
That’s how they usually do it!
PlugMEMBER
Yep, you are onto it 🙁
__ADAM__
I wonder who will be the first to get a speeding ticket in Sydney CBD in rush hour. Haven’t seen one of those in a while.
From SMH too
City activity drops to 20 per cent, but other places better at staying home
People in Sydney and Melbourne have cut their travel to 20 per cent of ordinary levels this week, The Sydney Morning Herald’s Pallavi Singhal reports using data from global transport app Citymapper.
Movement in cities in lockdown such as Rome has dropped to as low as 4 per cent. But, at the same time, places such as Singapore have managed to control the spread of COVID-19 while maintaining movement at about 62 per cent of normal levels.
Hundreds of people were out and about at Manly this morning.
Earlier this morning, we put out a poll asking if the readers of this blog thought Australians were doing a good job of social distancing. After 4000 responses, 89 per cent of you said we weren’t.
It’s hopeless at the moment… still lots not really understanding or dismissing the whole affair
My trip to the shops was shocking.
No one has any idea what is coming.
No doubt Transurban will soon be demanding a taxpayer subsidy to compensate it for loss of profits.
The Golden Rule of Australian Privatisation: “Private Profit. Public Risk.”
There was an article I saw earlier about the cruise ship industry — another major corporate tax-dodger, now demanding a taxpayer bailout.
“To save jobs”! (Think of the children!)
That reminds me of terrorists who use civilians as human shields
oh please please please. Would give me great pleasure see them go bust.
Deary me, now we have too much infrastructure — can we get rid of some of it and build units, do you think?
“Asset recycling”
Just the other day they ripped up the road outside our house and re-laid it in a new suburb(!)
They took away your road and gave it to a new suburb?
Hehehhe nice.
now we have too much infrastructure
There is the living space under the bridges, forward planning at it’s best.
Bailout for Transurban incoming.
It will have to cut the dividend first.
Roads in North Brisbane (well just the Redcliffe Peninsula) are still quite busy. Shops are slow. Overall in SEQ, Public Transport trips are down 70% from a week ago and trending down. I’ve heard that we are about to get a Saturday timetable on all modes of Public Transport for the foreseeable future.
Probs Scott Charlton (Transurban CEO) has a nice little clause in the NSW govt Toll contracts which includes minumium number of cars, and if not met will be supported by the govt coffers.
That’s how they usually do it!
Yep, you are onto it 🙁
I wonder who will be the first to get a speeding ticket in Sydney CBD in rush hour. Haven’t seen one of those in a while.