Covid-19 putting the brakes on mobility? It's the opposite, really

EVERYONE has a memory of how Covid-19 began. For Gojek Singapore, it was when we started distributing masks, wet wipes and hand sanitisers to driver-partners in late January, in a bid to create a safer ride environment and to stay ahead of the virus.

Much has happened since then, and key among the myriad of things Covid-19 has or disrupted is mobility - the ability to move about freely and easily. Lockdowns, travel restrictions and a reduced number of entry points to buildings are just some of the ways human movement has been crimped in the name of flattening the curve and slowing down the virus's spread, to give healthcare services critical manoeuvring space to better manage patients.

But to contend that the pandemic has all but ground mobility to a halt is to be hasty, for it rejects the gains the pandemic brings to mobility, and more broadly, transportation and travel behaviour.

The gains are two-fold. On the consumer side, there is enhanced receptivity to safety and hygiene routines. On the service side, governments and mobility businesses are strengthening their commitment to safety, innovation and environmental conservation.

GREATER DEMAND FOR SAFE PRACTICES

Take the adoption of digital payments. While this was slowly gaining traction over several years before Covid-19 struck, it received a supercharged jolt during the pandemic, with a McKinsey report describing the shift to digital technologies (payments included) as "vaulting five years forward ... in a matter of around eight weeks".

In line with best hygiene practices, transport players have been actively encouraging the use of contactless methods to pay for rides - to much success. Gojek Singapore, which counts DBS PayLah! and credit cards as contactless methods, saw growth of more than 10 per cent in digital payment transactions since the outbreak.

In another example, a new group of commuters in Singapore has started to embrace the concept of ride-hailing: the elderly and individuals with pre-existing medical conditions or mobility constraints. Since the pandemic, these commuters have increased their usage of ride-hailing to commute for health check-ups or for social visits - by virtue of the greater social distancing, privacy and comfort that ride-hailing or point-to-point transport provides, compared to more communal modes of transport. This has also been underpinned by ride subsidies provided by transport players such as Gojek, and the new "Seniors Go Digital" movement launched by the government to equip seniors with digital skills.

BUSINESSES AND GOVERNMENTS STEP UP

Since the outbreak, transport players have strengthened safety measures, rendering today's commuting experience the most secure and sanitary it has ever been. Case in point: private-hire vehicles are disinfected regularly throughout the day, with high-human contact points such as door handles being wiped down every few hours. Drivers are also required to take their body temperature and declare their health status daily online.

Covid-19 has also led to a push for climate-friendly mobility, with governments and businesses ramping up efforts to encourage more green and sustainable transport modes. In Singapore, the government recently enhanced regulations to encourage electric vehicle (EV) adoption through an EV Early Adoption incentive to relieve EV costs.

Hyundai Motor recently announced it will start manufacturing EVs in Singapore, with an annual target to produce 30,000 cars and sell as many as 6,000 locally. When EVs reach critical mass, ride-hailing operators will be ready to assimilate them into their fleets.

In the backdrop of the pandemic, autonomous vehicles (AVs) are also seeing a boost from governments and businesses. Owing to their driverless, self-disinfecting capabilities and frontline anti-epidemic abilities such as cleaning and logistics, AVs are increasingly being perceived as essential in the fight against future outbreaks.

A variety of AV trials are underway in Singapore, led by companies such as nuTonomy, and backed by government agencies such as the Land Transport Authority. These efforts continued during Covid-19 and are poised to pick up pace. In China, consumers now line up to participate in autonomous taxi trials by companies such as JD.com and Didi Chuxing - a testament to the growing support for this new form of transport.

NO BRAKES ON MOBILITY

The above examples demonstrate the various gains that Covid-19 has brought to the transport sector and are proof that the crisis has not put the brakes on mobility. In fact, amid a pandemic, people will still need to travel, whether to provide or receive essential services such as healthcare, or for the value of in-person contact with family and friends, which is never quite the same in virtual interactions.

In light of that, and with more people working from home and travelling for essential services closer to home, average commuting distances have fallen since the outbreak. In Singapore, could this perhaps spur a revival and improved version of micro-mobility - such as bike-sharing, apt for short-distance, on-demand trips?

Regardless, what is clear is that Covid-19 will continue to introduce fresh changes into our daily routines. But even in the new normal, ride-hailing will continue to be an integral part of the transport network, and the mobility sector will evolve and deliver even safer and more rewarding travel experiences to commuters.