Are you always worried about taking public transportation especially now in the midst of a pandemic? If you are then you’re not alone on this one.

A recent survey conducted by WapCar, a tech-driven content hub, found that over 90% of Malaysians are concerned about taking public transportation amidst the Covid-19 health threat.

These respondents say they would prefer to self-drive as a safety measure. WapCar also found that respondents are prudently opting to reduce spending and lower their budget for a car.

As reported by Bernama, the findings showed 57.9% of respondents will not take public transportation while 32.7% will, despite being concerned about health safety.

Many of the 318 respondents are reconsidering their plans to buy a car over the next six months, according to the survey.

“It appears that while Malaysians are concerned about their safety, they will continue to take public transportation out of prudence or because they have no other alternative,” WapCar said.

As reported by the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) and Malaysia’s Federation of Motor and Credit Companies back in June, the trend in car sales in Malaysia will lean towards cheaper and fuel efficient vehicles. This report supported the findings of the WapCar survey.

Price and discounts will influence the current car purchase decision with 83% of respondents noting these as the most important consideration factors.

Almost 47% of the respondents are only willing to spend less than RM100,000 for their next car purchase. The survey also showed that 70% of the respondents are concerned about the economic situation and this affected their decision in buying new cars.

Nearly 50% of the respondents said they were extra cautious about their spending and prefer to save for emergencies instead of buying big ticket items like cars in the next six months.