The COVID-19 pandemic has been managed differently across countries. In Brazil, several states and municipalities imposed restrictions on freedom of movement. These measures led to a sharp decline in economic activity and in the volume of vehicle and pedestrian traffic in cities. Google released data on changes in mobility patterns, and in the Brazilian case, there are striking differences.
During this period, public transit will be the big loser. Much of its demand comes from commuting (home-work-home and home-school-home). As soon as the quarantine began, bus companies switched to weekend or holiday schedules, and some simply suspended operations due to a lack of demand.
