According to O2’s mobile network data, commuter numbers in the City of London have practically doubled in July as compared to a year ago when all the lockdown restrictions were lifted in England.

Recent crowd movement data from O2’s network showed that peak volumes of people commuting into London in the last two weeks of July increased by as much as 96% when compared to the same period last year, around the time lockdown was lifted in England.

Even so, the numbers are still 27% lower than in the pre-pandemic times, before concepts such as furloughs or lockdowns were introduced.

The anonymised, aggregated data was collected by O2 Motion, O2’s data service which measures connections to the network’s mobile masts in order to gain insight into crowd movement trends. It analysed the main commuter, hospitality, and retail hubs across the capital city, which include the City of London, Soho and Fitzrovia, and White City.

On Thursday 21st July, crowd volumes in the capital surpassed 248,000, compared to a little over 125,000 at the same time last year. However, Londoners aren’t returning full-time just yet, as it appears that Wednesdays and Thursdays are the most popular days to head into the office. The so-called ‘Thirsty Thursdays’ are clearly regaining popularity, as crowd volumes in the City at around 7 pm are 68% higher as compared to the same period last year.

According to Mónica Mercado Páez, Head of AI and Data at Virgin Media O2 Business, such large-scale crowd insights can help recognise the emerging working, shopping, and socialising patterns that could be here to stay.

Understanding these movement trends will also be crucial to the country’s effort to adapt to the shift in habits of a hybrid working population. From analysing how and where Londoners are using office space and local businesses to scheduling transport services around the city, it will help both employers and city planners to ensure that the needs of their people are best being met.

This sudden surge in commuter volumes may have also been caused by the record-breaking temperatures the UK experienced in recent weeks. It could be that for many, the temptation to sit in an air-conditioned skyscraper was stronger than the desire to not get on a train during that time.

Only time will tell whether working from home was just a temporary trend in response to a short-term problem such as Covid, or coworking space ventures, such as WeWork, will come to replace the office as we know it. Or, perhaps certain industries will simply rely on communal working more than others.

Source: Telecoms.com