Covid-19 pandemic to affect mobility in Italy: Report

"A greater use of remote working and learning suggests a change in the travelling habits of employees and students," Italy's National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) wrote in the report. 

"While over 80 per cent commuted at least five times a week before the pandemic, less than 70 per cent are planning to do so with the same frequency next fall." 

Among the employees and students involved in the study, more than 50 per cent of those planning to change their mobility behaviour cited the coronavirus emergency as the main reason, the Xinhua news agency reported. 

ISTAT also predicted a change in transport habits, with the number of people commuting on public transport forecast to drop to 22.6 per cent after the summer break, compared to 27.3 per cent before the pandemic. 

These data came despite the progress of Italy's domestic vaccination campaign, which has seen 64.66 per cent of the target population (or 34.9 million people) fully immunised as of Wednesday. 

The pandemic will also reduce the frequency of travel for work and study, according to the statistics agency. 

The study was carried out as part of ISTAT's July consumer confidence survey on a sample of some 2,000 citizens aged 18 or over.