Public transport responses to COVID-19 in Germany and Austria with a focus on Berlin and Vienna

Abstract

COVID-19 had a severe impact on public transport services in Germany and Austria. It became evident that the public transport sector was not well prepared for a pandemic and that there were limited contingency plans in place. Due to several lockdowns and reduced mobility in general, public transport suffered a loss of demand. On the supply side, infections of the public transport staff challenged operators. These factors led to service reductions, especially during the peaks of the pandemic, when the numbers of infections were high. To provide sufficient mobility services, German and Austrian governments granted financial aids to public transport operators. A unique characteristic of Germany and Austria is their federal structure, making the legal decision-making process more difficult and resulting in inconsistencies among their federal states. Although there was a lack of preparation, COVID-19 can be seen as a learning experience for the public transport sector. However, during the later course of the crisis, the public transport sector developed new strategies and some adjustments to its services have already been implemented.