The use of public transport would be positively affected by more accurate information on how busy and congested transport vehicles are. More than half of the respondents believed that it would increase their use of public transport.
More than half of the respondents also thought that intensified cleaning of vehicles and stations and disinfection of surfaces would increase their use of public transport.
Almost 50 per cent of respondents said that more visible instructions on how passengers should behave would also increase their use of public transport.
Actions we are taking to make journeys safer
Our aim is to make more accurate information available on what times different routes and different modes of transport are most crowded. Traditionally, services are busiest during peak hours for business and school travel (between 7-9am and 3-6pm on weekdays), but journeys at other times can also have a large number of passengers. During the summer, the number of passengers can be different due to the holiday season.
Cleaning in public transport has been intensified since the beginning of the corona pandemic, with special attention paid to surfaces that are exposed to frequent contact. Enhanced cleaning will continue throughout the summer and beyond.
We have also posted instructions on safe travel at stops, stations, inside public transport and on our digital channels. We intend to continue and further develop this work. Almost 70 per cent of passengers who used public transport at least weekly in June thought that the passenger safety instructions on public transport were adequate.
In addition, we are paying attention to more efficient air ventilation on public transport. For example, all the doors on trams are opened when they stop at a stop, and it is recommended that the same is done on buses.
Customers' biggest safety concerns on public transport included overcrowding, disorder and the behavior of other passengers. We do everything we can to ensure that travelling on HSL public transport remains safe, but we also need the help of our customers - safe journeys are made together.
You can influence the safety of public transport by considering the following: Travel only when healthy, keep a safe distance from others where possible, maintain good hand hygiene, cover your mouth with a sleeve or tissue when you cough or sneeze, and where possible, buy your ticket through the mobile app.
Passengers plan to return to public transport
82 per cent of respondents said they would use public transport in the next three months. The majority of them, 86 per cent, plan to use public transport within the next month and more than half within 1-2 weeks.
A total of 5,598 HSL customers responded to the survey. An invitation to take part in the survey was emailed to 287,000 customers in mid-June. In addition, it was possible to complete the survey via HSL's website.
You can read up-to-date information on the effects of the coronavirus on public transport in the Helsinki region here, at hsl.fi/korona
