The study of mobility through Big Data, in which the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (Mitma) works, reflects that the provinces and territories that are in phase 1 of the de-escalation process towards the new normality, show a significant increase in intra-provincial mobility and, especially, on the weekend.
Regarding the mobility produced within each province, compared to the first week of confinement, it increased 24% on working days and 57% compared to the weekend. In this way, intraprovincial mobility was already on working days of last week at a level of 60% compared to usual – compared to 55% the previous week – and 52% on weekends – compared to 42% from the previous week.
This increase is mainly due to the increase in mobility of the territories that passed to phase 1. While those that continued in phase 0 experienced less significant increases, the provinces that passed to phase 1 have registered increases of up to 28 points in the end. week and 15 points on working days.
These data reflect that a large part of the recovery of mobility comes from leisure reasons, which is the one that is especially associated with the weekend.
In contrast, interprovincial mobility, which has occurred between provinces, has increased by only 5% in recent weeks, with an eminently labor-related nature given that they are movements produced especially during the week.
The most significant increase is that of movements less than 2 kilometers. The data shows that, apart from the de-escalation phase, they are at levels close to 70% on working days and 80% on weekends, compared to the normal situation. Although these figures have been increasing since April 26, with the permission of walks to the child population, and on May 2 when the permission for the period of walks and sports activities began more generally.
Transport
To date, although all modes of passenger transport have experienced increases, the only two that present figures higher than those of the first week of alarm status and in which, therefore, the increase in mobility is light vehicle traffic, currently 33% compared to the 1st week, and Cercanías with an increase of 45%.
In the case of light vehicles, this is the mode of transport whose evolution is more proportional to the evolution of mobility, for which a modal shift towards private transport by car is seen. Even so, we can see how general mobility has increased by an order of magnitude higher than the transport and traffic figures. Which, a priori, seems to reflect the reality we are seeing in cities, where journeys on foot or in soft modes of transport are prevailing.
The Cercanías, meanwhile, have had an average weekly increase in users in all areas of 15%, with Valencia standing out with 40%, but taking into account that Madrid and Barcelona contribute only 18%. Despite these increases and thanks to the efforts to maximize supply that we are making, the average occupancy levels of all the centers did not reach 20%
Despite these values, it is essential to maintain and promote both teleworking and the establishment of shift shifts, to keep occupancy levels under control at peak times.
In summary, the data shows a type of mobility that reflects that in these phases the reason for the displacement is changing and the need to physically access the job is decreasing. And that, of course, the limitation of travel distance in the state of alarm and, also, the reduction of traffic in cities encourage citizens to make their journeys on foot or in other soft modes of transport.
