PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN THE CITY OF ZAGREB

Abstract

The pandemic caused by the coronavirus has shaken the entire world. It has, like no pandemic before, deeply impacted the mobility of the population on a global scale. Almost all the member states, including the Republic of Croatia, had public transport services put on hold and the mobility of the people who travel abroad was possible only under specific conditions. Public transport represents an extremely important segment of each society, and its role has been gaining importance in recent years since sustainable transport is in everybody's best interest. Even in these difficult times, decision-makers need to be aware of the fact that an efficient system of public transport is of great importance, and they need to find a solution to the problem that arose because many have lost trust in the public transport system for fear of their health. The findings of the studies so far have confirmed that there have been changes happening in the transport behavior and that it is crucial to revise the existing strategies of public transport development to regain trust and to ensure the conditions for sustainable transport. In Croatia's capital, a drop of the number of passengers in all segments of urban transit has been recorded, but the encouraging fact is that it is smaller than in other EU member states. To be able to operate at levels from before the pandemic, the authorities in the City of Zagreb will have to continue with the precautionary measures for minimizing the risk of transmission of the virus and with informing the public on a high level of safety. Moreover, the crucial action would have to be encouraging the tourists to return because they represent an extremely important factor in using the funicular. © 2021 University of Zagreb Faculty of Economics and Business. All rights reserved.