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The UK’s major urban centers are still much less busy and Britons, for the most part, continue to avoid public transport, the data shows.
Despite the government’s campaign to get people back to shops, restaurants, bars, and workplaces, some parts of the country are recovering much more slowly than others from the coronavirus lockdown.
Coastal cities are busier, but cities are still quiet
The comparative shortage of people returning to city centers will fuel fears about the continued impact on the “lunchtime economy” and the prospects for businesses such as coffee shops and sandwich shops.
A survey of businesses by the Office for National Statistics showed that remote working remained popular in July and August.
Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, managing director of the Confederation of British Industry, has warned that unless they do so, UK city centers will remain “ghost towns”.
“UK offices are vital drivers of our economy,” he said.
“They support thousands of local businesses, from dry cleaners to sandwich bars. They help train and develop young people. And they foster better work and productivity for many types of businesses.”
The contrasting fortunes of coastal cities, where increased activity suggests a possible influx of hikers or tourists, are also evident in Google data.
Google’s Mobility Report shows that movement in places like restaurants, cafes, shopping centers, theme parks, museums, libraries and cinemas is still a quarter (-23% in the first half of August) below pre-pandemic levels.
The strongest recovery occurred in places popular with tourists and hikers, while local closures had an effect on mobility.
In Leicester, the UK’s first city to come under a local lockdown, non-essential shops were forced to close again on June 30, while pubs and restaurants were unable to reopen until August 3, almost a month after the rest of England.
Similarly, in Aberdeen, which was closed for three weeks in August, movement around recreational and commercial areas is still less than half the level seen in January.
Google tracks the mobility patterns of users who have turned on Location History settings and compares the most recent day with what was normal in January and February 2020.
Comparisons should be treated with caution, as the data is not seasonally adjusted and some areas may be busier in summer than winter.
The British have returned to their cars, but they continue to avoid public transport
The government’s “stay home” message on March 23 had a significant impact, especially on public transportation.
In late March and April, train use was down to less than 5% from its 2019 level, and bus use was only about 15% of what it was at the beginning of the year.
Around three months since the closure began, the figures for trains, buses and metro have not yet reached previous levels.
Jace Tyrrell, CEO of the New West End Company representing 600 companies in London’s West End, said: “Urban centers, significantly central London, are being held back by a number of constraints, including uncertainty around the return to work and use of public transportation.
Clear instruction from the London government and Mayor with regular risk management health data is desperately needed to inspire consumer confidence in the weeks and months to come for both workers and clients to return to office and clients to our shops, restaurants, bars and hotels. “
This might not come as a surprise, given that the official government guide still encourages Britons to walk or cycle when they can.
Figures from satellite navigation company TomTom reveal that people are getting back into the car, with traffic congestion on the roads increasing in some areas, though it is mostly below 2019 levels.
In August, Brighton and Hove, Liverpool, Middlesbrough and London experienced congestion similar to last year.
Other cities such as Manchester, Birmingham or Glasgow were still significantly below the comparative period.
However, it is worth noting that, over the past few weeks, Greater Manchester has been under tighter coronavirus restrictions than other parts of the UK.
Brits stay home less
While the data indicates that people are being selective about their modes of transport and destinations, it also confirms that far fewer Britons are staying home.
Mobile phone location data from the University of Oxford’s COVID-19 impact monitor shows that in the first half of August, only one in five people stayed home.
This compares with just under one in two people in late March and early April.
A person is considered to be at home if they move within 100 meters of their property.
The latest figures are similar to those recorded in early March, before the government advised people to “stay home.”
However, it is reasonable to assume that fewer people would be home in the summer month of August than in March, so there could still be a kind of lockdown hangover.
And, although movement patterns in the UK are still far from normal, the return of children to school could encourage people to return to the workplace, or we could be developing a new way of life.
