Commuting beyond the COVID-19

Download the PDF report: Commuting beyond the COVID-19.

KPMG UK have been working with the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) to produce a white paper to look at recommendations and practical guidance for businesses on how they approach travelling to and from work looking beyond COVID-19.

As part of a wider CBI/KPMG campaign exploring the ’Future of Commuting‘, this paper takes stock of the changes we have seen in working practices and use of transport networks in recent months and what they will mean for policy going forward. It focuses on the steps businesses and government can take now – both to successfully manage commutes during the economic restart and to prepare for better commutes in the future.

• Coronavirus has prompted long-term shifts in working patterns, reductions in transport use and unprecedented interventions to support operators.
• Government and industry must collaborate to safely restart the economy and rebuild confidence in public transport networks.
• As part of ‘building back better’ from the pandemic, future commutes must be greener, more reliable and more affordable. 

The coronavirus pandemic has had a dramatic impact on how businesses and their employees operate day-to-day, not least in how they approach travelling to and from places of work. Attempts to contain the disease have had an instant and unprecedented effect on working patterns all over the country, with the lockdown and increased working from home dramatically reducing use of networks and demand for public transport.

Coming out of this crisis, well-used public transport networks must return to their essential role providing affordable alternatives to private vehicle travel. Without a return en-masse to public transport, transport corridors will struggle to contain congestion, and will see reduced productivity and increased emissions as a result.

Policy makers must also anticipate and adapt to the longer-term shifts in working patterns that are starting to emerge and that may well stick beyond the current crisis. Transport will continue to be a key enabler of the economy, and connectivity will continue to be a driver of productivity, providing businesses with better access to skills, customers and supply chains. But as the UK seeks opportunities to ‘build back better’ from the pandemic, we must consider how commuting will change in the future, developing greener, more reliable and affordable transport systems to support this evolution and rebalance our economy.

To download the paper click here.