24% fewer Taiwanese using public transportation due to coronavirus

24％台灣人因冠狀病毒減少使用大眾交通運輸工具

Parks receiving more visitors, indoor recreation facilities seeing fewer: Google


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As people worldwide continue to adjust to the changes to their lifestyle forced upon them by the current pandemic, Google's latest community mobility reports have shown that Taiwan's public transportation systems have received 24 percent fewer passengers since mid-February.

In a blog post published on Friday (April 3), Google announced the release of its new COVID-19 Community Mobility Reports for 131 countries and regions. The reports were based on location data collected from smartphones around the world with the intention of helping international health officials understand how people's movements have changed in response to the outbreak.

According to the reports, Taiwanese noticeably reduced the time they spend in indoor public areas between Feb. 16 and March 29. In addition, the mobility trends for the country's public transportation, which includes buses, trains, and the Metro Rapid Transit (MRT), dropped 24 percent against a baseline set for the weeks Jan. 3 to Feb. 6.

The mobility trend for places of recreation, such as retail outlets, restaurants, cafes, shopping centers, libraries, and movie theaters, has decreased by nine percent, while the trend for public parks and beaches has gone up by 17 percent. It is also worth noting that Taiwanese workplaces have not been significantly altered by the pandemic, as there was only a one percent drop in the number of people heading to the office.

In Italy, where the coronavirus outbreak is severe, mobility trends dropped 94 percent for local places of recreation and 90 percent for outdoor parks and plazas. Italian employees going to the workplace have also decreased by 63 percent, while the number of commuters taking public transportation has dropped by 87 percent.

Google said the reports will help countries determine the appropriate measures needed to stem the spread of the coronavirus. It pointed out that data from China and North Korea were not included in the reports and that is unknown whether these will be added later, reported CNA.


Taiwan's public transportation receives 24 percent less passengers due to pandemic. (Google screenshot)

Greater number of Taiwanese visiting public parks and beaches. (Google screenshot)