Ann: Bapcor Investor Day - 24 June 2021, page-11

The '56 per cent' figure for Melbourne public transport usage (compared to pre-COVID-19) was for Metro Trains Melbourne.

When this figure was made public, metropolitan bus patronage in Melbourne was back up to 70 per cent of pre-COVID-19, but Yarra Trams only at 46 per cent. The latter has free CBD grid travel (trams only) so has been badly affected by fewer working in the CBD or visiting it.

Last week, only 57 per cent of Melbourne's public servants were back at their desks, so this goes a long way to explaining the drop in peak period public transport usage. Sure, if 'at home', they may be using a private vehicle sometimes, but often they'll be in their home study or some other quasi-desk 'working from home', and not travelling.

From observation, the public transport use in Melbourne is increasing week by week, and off peak isn't far off what it was before the virus.

TCL recently reported that tollway traffic volumes in Melbourne remained 20 per cent down on pre-COVID, even though freight movements (delivery vans and the like) have risen a few per cent due to the part shift to online shopping.

I don't doubt some have rushed out nationwide and bought an extra car (i.e. one car households becoming two) but long term this can be one of the worst financial decisions anyone who lives close to frequent mass transit can make.

All transport modes are suffering from the Victorian State Government's worst-in-Australia handling of COVID-19 (820 deaths compared to in the whole of the rest of Australia, 89).

The picture for public transport usage in much of the rest of Australia is better than in Melbourne, and at least finally it's showing an upward trend in all states, unless Premiers impose ineffective, job destroying lockdowns.