Upto 31% UAE residents feel concerned over overcrowding on aircrafts

Upto 31% UAE residents feel concerned over overcrowding on aircrafts

Almost one-third of people (31 per cent) in the UAE have concerns around overcrowding on aircrafts, new research has found.

As many as 80 per cent of the respondents using public transport services ranked physical distancing as their first or second priority for feeling safe. Meanwhile, 62 per cent placed daily disinfection and sanitisation as the most important or second most significant priority, a survey conducted by UAE-based Serco's design company, ExperienceLab - which recorded responses from 217 Dubai residents, 37 discovery interviews with staff, customers and drivers of transport providers and 10 interviews with passengers returning to the UAE - revealed.

Many people remain nervous and are hesitant to use public transport during the pandemic, key findings reveal. Passengers are also resorting to digital touchpoints to reduce physical contact where possible, such as topping up travel cards via contactless payments versus going to a ticket counter. Furthermore, many people still have concerns for their personal safety due to the behaviour of other people not adhering to the rules around physical distancing and mask-wearing.

One unnerving experience where passengers don't feel safe could lead them to stop using public transportation altogether. However, 26 per cent of respondents said that having an authority