UK Fleet Activity Recovery Level at 84%

The United Kingdom’s transport sector activity has recovered to 84% of its pre-COVID-19 baseline, three months since lockdown was first imposed on March 23, 2020 in the U.K., according to the latest figures from Geotab and Webfleet Solutions’ Commercial Mobility Recovery Dashboard.

Despite a positive trend over last quarter, the U.K. transport sector lags behind its EU peers, with France at 97%, Germany at 99%, Italy at 98%, Netherlands at 92%, Poland at 92% and Spain at 84%, according to data from the dashboard

The Dashboard, built by Geotab and Webfleet Solutions in a joint effort to help keep a pulse on commercial fleet activity recovery, outlines activity on a country-by-country basis, as well by three sub-sectors; business services, construction and freight. Now, roughly three months since each country locked down, meaningful data analysis on the recovery can be made.

In the first and second week of each country’s imposition of strict measures, analysis found:

• U.K. activity fell to an average of 63% during March 23 - 29, 2020, and averaged at 52% during March 30 - Apr. 5, 2020.
• Activity in France fell to a 42% average during March 17 - 22, 2020, and averaged 35% during March 23-29, 2020.
• German activity fell to a 86%  average during March 23 - 29, 2020, and averaged 86% during March 30 - Apr. 5, 2020.
• Activity in Spain fell to a 56% average March 16 - 22, 2020, and averaged 53% during March 23 - 29, 2020.
• Italy activity fell to a 76% average during March 9 - 15, 2020, and averaged 61% during March 16 - 22, 2020.

Since its second week of lockdown, commencing Mar. 30, U.K. transport activity has recovered an average of only 2.6% per week. This compares to France at 4.8%, Germany at 1.1%, Spain at 2.4%, and Italy at 2.7%.

The week following “Super Saturday” commencing July 6 - when the U.K. hospitality industry re-opened to the public - saw a total recovery rate of 5%, with UK recovery climbing from 79% the week prior to 84% on July 10th.

Consisting of non-essential services such as cleaning, office supply deliveries and facilities management, business services activity in the U.K. has been the slowest to recover, at 71% as of July 10, according to the dashboard.

Meanwhile, U.K. freight activity - consisting of essential services, necessary goods, such as food, medicine and post - has remained relatively high throughout the lockdown, now at 94% as of July 10. 

Fleets within the construction industry have seen the largest recovery over the last 13 weeks, its weekly recovery rate has averaged at 3.8%.