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Lockdown 2.0 traffic heavier than in April but less than pre-COVID - The Age

Peak-hour congestion was 3.3 per cent worse on the Tullamarine Freeway on weekdays under the second lockdown phase when compared with April, the HERE data shows. Weekend traffic on the Monash was 1.6 per cent slower.

The government said it was likely VCE students travelling to school had contributed to the increase in traffic.

From Wednesday, students across Victoria will return to remote learning, with tighter exemptions for children of essential workers than the government imposed last lockdown.

Movement is likely to drop considerably with the introduction of more stringent restrictions in Melbourne and Mitchell Shire, including a five-kilometre limit on travel and a night-time curfew.

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Foot traffic in Melbourne's CBD plummeted on Monday after the announcement on Sunday of six weeks of of further restrictions.

On a typical pre-pandemic day, about 1300 people would use Sandridge Bridge to cross the Yarra River during the 8am to 9am weekday peak. On Monday morning its sensors tracked just six people walking from one side to the other.

Foot traffic throughout the rest of Melbourne’s central business district was also down, even on the pedestrian numbers recorded in the wake of the state government’s move to make wearing face masks mandatory almost a fortnight ago.

Pedestrian numbers on Monday morning were down at least 10 per cent on their already-depressed figures from throughout the second lockdown. Outside Southern Cross Station, there were 136 pedestrians counted during Monday's morning peak, down from the 225 average over the past month.

Apple Maps data revealed that driving has dropped to an average of 54 per cent and 52 per cent below pre-COVID levels in the first and third weeks of the March/April lockdown.

By July, this crept up to 38 per cent below normal traffic levels in the first week and 41 per cent by the third week.

A near-empty tram travels along St Kilda Road in Melbourne. More people working from home could see demand for public transport fall.

A near-empty tram travels along St Kilda Road in Melbourne. More people working from home could see demand for public transport fall. Credit:Daniel Pockett

Public transport use has fallen to 80 per cent lower than usual levels and walking has dropped to 60 per cent in July and April.

Senior government epidemiologist Professor James McCaw said it was clear more people are moving around in July than in April, but this was much less than June.

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The Melbourne University expert collates mobility data from Facebook, Apple and Google and matches it with surveys on social distancing compliance in a weekly report presented to federal cabinet.

“We haven’t changed our behaviour as a community as much as we did in the first lockdown, that is true and we can see that in the data,” he said.

A government spokesperson said: "We’re seeing patronage down across the network – as people in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire do the right thing and stay home."

But Professor McCaw said Victoria’s COVID-19 restrictions have been “crucial” in preventing widespread transmissions and averting thousands of positive cases: “What we’ve done so far has helped, it just hasn’t been quite enough.”

Victoria was now on a “knife-edge”, he said, warning the numbers could either dramatically dive or shoot up.

A sub-set of the working population were continuing to move around but “there’s been too much blame and finger-pointing” Professor McCaw said, suggesting these groups needed more government and community support.

Deakin University’s chair in epidemiology Professor Catherine Bennett said workers were the likely force behind increases in mobility, but this was not necessarily a problem if people were going to safe workplaces, she said.

Some work spaces have been “reengineered” for the pandemic by separating desks, staggering attendance and the requirement to wear masks, she said. “People’s movement doesn’t always mean having a party for 20 people.”

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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMihwFodHRwczovL3d3dy50aGVhZ2UuY29tLmF1L25hdGlvbmFsL3ZpY3RvcmlhL2xvY2tkb3duLTItMC10cmFmZmljLXdvcnNlLWNvbXBhcmVkLXdpdGgtYXByaWwtYnV0LWxlc3MtdGhhbi1wcmUtY292aWQtMjAyMDA4MDEtcDU1aGxxLmh0bWzSAYcBaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAudGhlYWdlLmNvbS5hdS9uYXRpb25hbC92aWN0b3JpYS9sb2NrZG93bi0yLTAtdHJhZmZpYy13b3JzZS1jb21wYXJlZC13aXRoLWFwcmlsLWJ1dC1sZXNzLXRoYW4tcHJlLWNvdmlkLTIwMjAwODAxLXA1NWhscS5odG1s?oc=5

2020-08-03 01:58:00Z
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