The world is now starting to emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic. In the UK, bars and restaurants have opened again, while “air bridges” have been opened up to allow travel between some European neighbours.
Almost half of the UK’s workforce was forced to go about their daily business at home during lockdown, which cleared our roads and rail networks of much of their daily traffic.
Two of the biggest businesses on the planet, Facebook and Google, are among the companies discovering that working from home is no barrier to productivity and will keep their offices closed for the remainder of 2020 in a bid to safeguard employees.
So how have travel companies responded, and what does the future hold for business travel?
How travel operators are adapting
- Alterations to vehicles: Train seating plans have changed to ensure that people are not crammed on board, although it remains to be seen how these measures will be kept up if and when more people return to their workplaces.
- Sanitary practices: Train and bus stations have installed hand-sanitizer stations, with similar posts set to be introduced to airports.
- Cancellations and schedule changes: Slowing services and running fewer of them will cut down on congestion – crucial to maintaining social distancing.
- More automation: Although ticket machines and automatic barriers lessen the need for face-to-face contact, they must be regularly cleaned and kept sterile.
The end of commuting?
Cars have remained on the driveway and buses and trains have been emptied as so many of us have stayed at home to work, which could alter the housing market as well as the transport industry.
Looking specifically at London, the dominance of the south east has led to commuter hubs being established all around the capital, including stretches from Finsbury Park to Enfield Chase centrally, Hatfield in the north, Reading and Wokingham in the west, and Southend or Basildon in the east.
With industries potentially committing to long-term working from home, the knock-on effect on the housing market could be another interesting development in the business world.
Global connections severed?
The airline industry has been particularly affected by the pandemic and subsequent lockdown, with some operators now teetering on the brink of going out of business, which could have a following impact on businesses that rely on the industry for their own trade.
And what do you do if you’re trying to take your fledgling company global? Getting face-to-face time with potential partners, new investors, and overseas colleagues will become strained by the difficulties placed upon travelling.
Apps such as Zoom and Skype have helped keep people connected in their personal and professional lives in recent months and it may well be that our reliance on these platforms remains for some time.
