I thought it would be fun to build a report visualising how COVID-19 has affected transport utilisation patterns in NSW.
This report combines OPAL tap-on/tap-off data from NSW Trains, Ferries, Buses, Light Rail & Metro. We use these data to compare public transport utilisation year over year (2020 vs 2019). The aim is to understand the impact of COVID-19 on passenger levels across all modes of public transport, using 2019 as our baseline.
The common dimensions available in the report include Service, Fare Type and Transport Mode. A definition of these can be found below:
Service : Refers to the service where the tap-on/tap-off occurred e.g. Manly Ferry
Fare Type : Refers to the type of fare for which the tap-on/tap-off occurred e.g. Adult
Transport Mode : Refers to the mode of transport where the tap-on/tap-off occured e.g. Train
Data Sources
All data is sourced from the NSW Transport Open Data website - links are below:
Ferry : Opal Trips - Ferry | TfNSW Open Data Hub and Developer Portal
Bus : Opal Trips - Bus | TfNSW Open Data Hub and Developer Portal
Train (Includes Metro) : Opal Trips - Train | TfNSW Open Data Hub and Developer Portal
Light Rail: Opal Trips - Light Rail | TfNSW Open Data Hub and Developer Portal
Key Metrics
Passengers 2019: Sum of Passengers for 2019 (Excluding months that are yet to occur in 2020 e.g. September).
Passengers 2020 Sum of Passengers for 2020
Absolute Change Year over Year: Passengers 2020 - Passengers 2019
Percentage Change Year over Year: (Passengers 2020 - Passengers 2019) / Passengers 2019
Passengers Current Reporting Period: Sum of Passengers for the latest reporting month
Passengers Current Reporting Period Previous Year: Sum of Passengers for the