There is no doubt that we are on a downward trend with passengers travelling on public transport. Infrastructure Australia’s 2021 infrastructure report cited passenger numbers in late 2020 were about 60–70 per cent of pre-Covid commuter numbers. The Bureau of Infrastructure Transport and Regional Economics confirms this declining trend, citing that total bus passenger kilometres have dropped 24 per cent each year since 2019.
But the question to ask is – is the patronage downturn all related to lockdown measures and ongoing Covid anxiety? Or –
