PUBLIC transport usage in Australia has dropped by 10% over the past year due to the Covid-19 virus, figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show. The figures show that 14% of Australians reported using public transport in March 2021, compared with 23% who reported being regular users before Covid-19 restrictions were introduced in March 2020. ABS’ head of household surveys, Ms Lisa Scanlon, says the latest Household Impacts of Covid-19 Survey, conducted from March 12-21, showed that public transport use had increased, up from 9% of respondents reporting regular use of public transport in September 2020, but normal patterns of usage had not returned for everyone. “Of the people who reported regularly using public transport before Covid-19 restrictions began, around 18% reported they had not used public transport since March 2020,” Scanlon says. “After the Covid-19 pandemic, 61% expect their public transport use will remain the same, while 13% expect their use to increase and 7% expect it will decrease.”