Name/TitleEmpty commuter car park, Sandringham, during the pandemic
About this objectDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, regulations were in place to limit community mobility in order to reduce transmission of the virus. In Melbourne’s first lockdown there were initially only four reasons for leaving home: food and supplies, medical care, exercise, and work/education. One step taken to reduced community mobility was a direction to Melburnians to work from home if they were able. In subsequent lockdowns, the ability to leave home was further curtailed by time and geographical limits, and there were two periods when a curfew was imposed. The overall result was a steep decline in people moving around the community, with most aspects of life being impacted.
One of the stark sights in Bayside was how empty the commuter car parks were. Normally they were full by 7.00–7.30 am; there was insufficient room for commuters, let alone parking spaces for shoppers or retail workers. That all changed as soon as lockdown started. In April 2020, the commuter car parks were barely 20 per cent full. The photos are of the car park at Sandringham Railway Station, taken midday on a weekday.
