Public paid little heed to England's November lockdown rules

Transit figures show numbers of people still driving, walking and taking public transport under stay-at-home rules

Christmas decorations remain hanging over an empty Regents Street in London. Getty Images

The statue of Eros stands alone in the empty streets of Piccadilly Circus. For the third time, England has been asked by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to remain at home for a nationwide lockdown. Getty Images

A statue of a baby elephant sits alone in a deserted Spitalfields Market. A spike in cases of coronavirus across the country has led to the third lockdown. Getty Images

Odeon Cinema remains closed in Leicester Square. A new high of 60,000 new cases of the virus were reported in a single day on Wednesday. Getty Images

The streets are still outside St Paul's Cathedral. There are fears that the rate of new infections would overwhelm the National Health Service. Getty Images

The streets are mostly empty in China Town. Getty Images

A usually busy social area sits empty in Barbican. Getty Images

A view of Big Ben and the London Eye from a deserted Waterloo Bridge. Getty Images

Cafe tables stand without chairs in Covent Garden. Getty Images

Pigeons are left to roam in a deserted Trafalgar Square. Getty Images

Very few pedestrians are seen crossing the Millennium Bridge. Getty Images

The streets are left empty on Brick Lane. Getty Images

England is in the middle of its third national lockdown in less than a year with people told to stay home and allowed to leave only for essential activities.

Apple Mobility data shows that although significant numbers took the government measures on board, some are still going about their usual everyday routines.

Compared with January 2020, the data shows a fall in walking, driving and using public transport during the first lockdown in March, when panicking shoppers stripped supermarket shelves.

But during England's second lockdown in November, fewer people seemed to take heed of the government advice. The number of people in transit was similar to that in July, when rules were relaxed.

The message seems to have hit home now as fewer people are going out.

Latest figures show that compared with January 2020, the number of trips made by public transport has dropped by about 65 per cent. This, in turn, compares with a decrease of 60 per cent in November and more than 80 per cent in April, during England's first and second lockdowns.

Car journeys fell by about 70 per cent from January to April 2020, a 40 per cent fall from January to November. There is currently a 37 per cent reduction from a year ago.

In London, compared with January 2020, the number of journeys made by public transport in April dropped by 85 per cent while the figure fell by 60 per cent in November.

Journeys by car in London fell by almost 80 per cent in April, 40 per cent in November and currently show a drop of 75 per cent. There was a fall of almost 80 per cent in the number of people walking in April, and a drop of about 60 per cent in November. There is currently a 62 per cent decrease, all from January 2020.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson won parliament’s backing for the lockdown on Wednesday after telling MPs schools would be the first to reopen, followed by a “gradual unwrapping” of the safety measures.

But any easing of restrictions relies on the number of new infections and deaths.

As people continue to go about their everyday lives in breach of the latest lockdown, the British government has kept open the option of extending the order.