Alternative mobility has gained immense popularity throughout this pandemic, especially with the various public-transportation restrictions and the rise of bike lanes and other mobility-inclusive infrastructure in Metro Manila.
But what happens after the pandemic? Will people who have been cyling or riding electric kick scooters over the past couple of years simply ditch their personal mobility devices and go back to using public transport? Well, according to a recent survey by management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, alternative mobility—or sometimes referred to as micromobility—is the future of transport.
Before anything else, you should know that the impact of COVID-19 on mobility in other countries was a bit different from what we experienced here. The micromobility industry actually took a big hit from the pandemic. With people stuck inside their homes for several months, revenue from shared-mobility services drastically dropped. But now that lockdowns have started to ease up and borders have reopened, the industry is making a strong comeback.
McKinsey & Company’s survey conducted in July 2021 showed that after the initial drop in ridership, more people are once again looking to micromobility as a means of going around cities. About 70% of the survey’s respondents from around the world were willing to use micromobility vehicles for their commute. It was clear, though, that the percentage varied greatly from one country to another.
The report reads: “Our survey also revealed that micromobility uptake will be far from uniform because of location-specific factors. The willingness to use small vehicles was highest in countries with a long tradition of micromobility, such as Italy (81%) and China (86%).
“At the other end of the spectrum, only 60% of US respondents said they would consider micromobility, perhaps because they have traditionally relied on private cars or public transportation for their commutes, and the sight of someone weaving through traffic on a moped or scooter is relatively rare.”
The preferred vehicle for commuting also varied depending on the country, and this could potentially be attributed to the varying vehicle regulations in each locale.
But what does any of this have to do with mobility here in the Philippines? Shared-mobility services aren’t prevalent in our cities yet, but the survey shows us the potential of micromobility to impact movement.
There’s still a lot of work left to be done, but we’ve already gotten a glimpse of what shared mobility could look like in the Philippine setting courtesy of providers such as Moovr. If this industry could get the push it needs, then maybe more and more people will start patronizing these services. Its success could play a part in helping solve both mobility and traffic problems in Metro Manila.
