The world has changed an awful lot since the start of 2020, and now that we may soon be taking some steps back to normality, I wonder what this means for our socially distanced commute. In the urban areas micromobility offers one possible solution.
In Switzerland we have been in lockdown for the better part of two months, not being able to commute to work or anywhere much for that matter. Finally, there is light at the end of the tunnel and we are being told that we will soon be able to head back out and life just may slowly start to return to normal. Looking around the world we can see that in China and other Asian countries people are tentatively beginning to return to the real world. While in Europe the slow return to normality will begin over the coming weeks. Across the Atlantic, in the states people are also showing signs of being ready to head out.
This is all well and good, and hopefully with new measures and technology implementations we will be able to manage this horrible virus and get back on with our lives. However, with the virus still in circulation, and people now more than ever aware of the need for social distancing, the question of how we will be able to safely get to and from work and move around has remained largely unanswered.
In the short term there have been different solutions implemented to make it safer to catch public transport. For example, busses have sectioned off the entrance so nobody can sit by the driver. Trains also have stopped using ticket inspectors, and taxis don’t allow passengers to sit in the front. A bus company in Aargau, has gone to the extreme and proposed that passengers can sit in small plastic curtained off sections to keep them separate from one another.
Rightly so, many of these solutions are designed to protect the driver and other transport employees. At the same time, some of these methods don’t really manage to protect anyone much at all. A taxi for example with passengers in the back seat still requires people to sit within an undesirable distance of less than 2 meters.
When we start to head back out to work, it’s going to be difficult to keep 2 meters from others when catching busses, trains, trams and taxis. This is more true if you are living in a big city where trains were already at capacity before the crisis. Some options to keep your distance from people are:
- Travel off-peak as much as possible to avoid the crowds.
- Sit alone where possible.
- Consider using your own vehicle and parking on the outskirts of the city and commute the shorter distance by foot.
- Take advantage of micromobility.
As the northern hemisphere enters the warmer months, micromobility offers an old-fashioned, fun and safe distancing solution. Micromobility refers to devices that are small and lightweight. They are normally only capable of travelling at speeds of up to 25 km/h and are perfect for smaller trips of up to 10km. This includes all of our childhood favourite devices like bikes, scooters, skateboards and rollerblades. And if you need a little extra power it also includes electric bikes and scooters.
Micromobility means you can get around your town without sitting in a crowded bus or tram and can stay out in the fresh air away from the horrible germs. The best part is, scooters and skates can easily be taken on trains (if you need to travel longer distances) or in the boot of the car. This means once you get into a built up area, you can pull your scooter or your skates and blade to work.
However, you should remember a couple of things which your mother would have told you as a child:
A bike must follow road rules – don’t be that person who plows through a crossing almost hitting people because you forgot that you’re not a pedestrian.- Skates are cool but you are not in some 90s film and invincible – be sensible and stick to the skating tracks.
- Wear a helmet – they are not there for when you mess-up as it’s often someone else who crashes into you (a car will always come off better in a crash with a cyclist).
- Bring a change of clothes and deodorant to work, please! – whilst people should be keeping their distance from you in the work place, body odor can loft quite some distance.
- Have fun – let your inner child out and remember this is not just a way to get from A to B, it’s also fun.
Enjoy yourselves.
Blog photos by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
Featured image by Fabrizio Verrecchia from Pexels
I loved the “things your mother should have told you” section, it made me laugh but it’s very true – body odor above all is one of the big drawbacks of walking (quickly)/cycling to work. I love the idea of driving somewhere on the outskirts of a city and then cycling or e-scootering (is that even a word?) the rest of the way.
Thanks for your feedback. I think a bit of fun and fresh air on the way into work would do you the world of good. And if e-scootering isn’t already a word, it is now.