West Sussex sees sharp drop in public transport use as residents stay at home

West Sussex has seen one of the sharpest drops in public transport use in the UK during the coronavirus lockdown, data from Google suggests.
An empty road in LancingAn empty road in Lancing
An empty road in Lancing

NHS England medical director Stephen Powis said people are continuing to follow government guidance to stay at home to help reduce the number of hospitalisations due to coronavirus.

Google’s figures, which use location data to chart trends in people’s movement, show visits to public transport hubs in West Sussex fell by 85 per cent in the six weeks to the end of March compared to two months earlier.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Only a small number of places have witnessed a bigger drop-off, with visits to bus and train stations down by an average of 75 per cent across the UK when compared to a previous five-week period at the start of the year.

Mr Powis said people were ‘continuing to see people adhering’ to government policy – particularly on public transport.

Speaking recently at a daily coronavirus press conference, he said: “The sun might be out, but that doesn’t mean you should be out.

“We all need to make sure we resist the temptation, whatever the weather.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“This is not the time to be complacent and to take our foot off the pedal.

“We need to continue to comply with the instructions because that will continue to translate into a reduction in the number of hospitalisations.”

Google’s figures also show a 15 per cent rise in activity in places of residence in West Sussex compared to a 56 per cent reduction in places of work, as more people work from home.

Visits to retail and recreation places were also down by 85 per cent – on a par with the UK average of 85 per cent.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The British Independent Retailers Association said many successful businesses were fighting for survival, predicting that consumers’ increased use of online shopping is a trend that is here to stay.

Chief executive officer Andrew Goodacre said independent shops have already had to show great resilience and flair, utilising online deliveries to stay in business.

“However, we are also seeing many more previously successful businesses closed down and fighting for survival,” he said.

“It is good to see the government initiatives that have been taken but we are concerned that the support is not reaching the retailer quick enough.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Though there is no fixed date for when the lockdown will end and social distancing rules relaxed, Mr Goodacre said habits have already been formed and internet sales will continue to trump the High Street.

Where once they represented 20 per cent of all retail sales, they now make up 85 per cent and are ‘unlikely to come back down very quickly after the crisis’, he added.

West Sussex also saw 46 per cent less footfall at groceries and pharmacies, and 53 per cent less in parks and green spaces.

Oliver Dowden, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said using anonymous data like this from Google, ‘will help improve our understanding of the impact social distancing measures are having’.

A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton:

Thank you for reading this story on our website.

But I also have an urgent plea to make of you.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In order for us to continue to provide high quality local news on this free-to-read site and in print, please purchase a copy of our newspaper as well. With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on our town centres and many of our valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you buying a copy.

Our journalists are highly trained by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards anywhere in the world. Our content is universally trusted - as all independent research proves.

As Baroness Barran said in a House of Lords debate this week on the importance of journalists: “Not only are they a trusted source of facts, but they will have a role to play in rallying communities and getting the message across about how we can keep ourselves and our families safe, and protect our NHS. Undoubtedly, they have a critical role.”

But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis. In return we will continue to forensically cover the local news - not only the impact of the virus but all the positive and uplifting news happening in these dark days.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In addition, please write to your MP urging the Government to provide some additional financial support for local newspapers and their websites like this one and ensuring that supermarkets continue to stock them. I cannot stress enough how important such an intervention would be.

We thank all our readers and advertisers for their understanding and support - and we wish YOU all the best in the coming weeks. Keep safe, and follow the Government advice. Thank you