How can technology help us to live comfortably in a social distancing society?

The social distancing society has a huge impact on our daily movements. Our systems are not designed for this, and the further any restrictive measures are relaxed, the greater the challenge to maintain sufficient distance. Understanding the impact of current and future measures on our mobility helps us make the right choices regarding work and other forms of social or economic activity. Conversely, understanding the impact of our mobility on the spread of the coronavirus helps us to make informed decisions on which measures to take or relax to enable us to control the virus.

Social Distancing Dashboard

As countries take their first tentative steps towards loosening COVID-19 lockdown, society faces the difficult task of maintaining social distancing rules in practice. With growing numbers of pedestrians and cyclists returning to city streets, keeping a safe distance of 1.5m can be a challenge in many urban areas due to the way public space (or lack of it) has been designed.

Tools to support social distancing

Public transport is currently experiencing major problems: passenger numbers have fallen to only 10% and under current measures this could only be scaled up to about 40%. How to keep a distance of 1,5 metres at stations or stops, as well as in public transport vehicles, is still quite a challenge. Dutch Railways (Nederlandse Spoorwegen, or NS) are currently testing a corona-proof layout of trains and stations, so that passengers can travel safely and trains will become an attractive travel option once again. In buses, drivers no longer have to interact with passengers, but keeping the necessary distance between passengers is left to the passengers themselves. In line with other countries, it has now been decided that face masks will become compulsory for passengers and staff. However, managing the transport demand will remain necessary for the time being.