Irina Berezinets, Associate Professor of the Department of Finance and Accounting of the Graduate School of Management, St. Petersburg State University (GSOM SPbU), and Ekaterina Sokolova, Associate Professor of the Department of Public Administration, Academic Director of the Master in Urban Management and Development (MUMD), in an article for the Sobaka.ru portal (available in Russian only) described how the transportation sector will change in St. Petersburg after the pandemic.

 

According to the experts of the business school, after 2020 more people will wish to save on transport. On the one hand, the coronavirus and related restrictions can become a serious factor determining choice in favor of a personal car for many years. On the other hand, an increase in unemployment and a decrease in income can lead to the following situations: with a relatively small decrease in income, citizens will abandon the use of  private cars in favor of public transport; and a significant decrease in income or loss of jobs may lead to the fact that citizens will stop using any transport other than a bicycle.

 

A study conducted before coronavirus by the Graduate School of Management team showed that citizens will be more likely to choose public transport if they can check the schedule of transport. “The city authorities paid considerable attention to this aspect, both through official websites, social networks and applications, and through telegram bots. Now, we, the participants in this study, are not sure that such measures will dominate fears of getting infected, lack of money for travel or the opportunity to stay at home," — commented the situation experts from GSOM SPbU.