Exploring the Traveler’s Intentions to Use Public Transport during the COVID-19 Pandemic While Complying with Precautionary Measures

Non-commuting intentions during COVID-19 in Nanjing, China: A hybrid latent class modeling approach

Non-commuting travel is essential for people to meet daily demands and regulate mental health, which is greatly disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To explore non-commuting intentions during COVID-19 across different groups of residents, this paper uses online survey data in Nanjing and constructs a hybrid latent class choice model that combines sociodemographic characteristics and psychological factors. Results showed that the respondents can be divided into two groups: the "cautious" group versus the "fearless" group. The "cautious" group with lower willingness to travel tend to be older, higher-income, higher-educated, female and full-time employees. Furthermore, the "cautious" group with higher perceived susceptibility is more obedient to government policies. In contrast, the "fearless" group is significantly affected by perceived severity and is more inclined to turn to personal protection against the pandemic. These results suggested that non-commuting trips were influenced not only by individual characteristics but also by psychological factors. Finally, the paper provides implications for the government to formulate COVID-19 management measures for the heterogeneity of different groups.

T-Ridership: A web tool for reprogramming public transportation fleets to minimize COVID-19 transmission

As the outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to spread throughout the world, steps are being taken to limit the impact on public health. In the realm of infectious diseases like COVID-19, social distancing is one of the effective measures to avoid exposure to the virus and reduce its spread. Traveling on public transport can meaningfully facilitate the propagation of the transmission of infectious diseases. Accordingly, responsive actions taken by public transit agencies against risk factors can effectively limit the risk and make transit systems safe. Among the multitude of risk factors that can affect infection spread on public transport, the likelihood of exposure is a major factor that depends on the number of people riding the public transport and can be reduced by socially distanced settings. Considering that many individuals may not act in the socially optimal manner, the necessity of public transit agencies to implement measures and restrictions is vital. In this study, we present a novel web-based application, T-Ridership, based on a hybrid optimized dynamic programming inspired by neural networks algorithm to optimize public transit for safety with respect to COVID-19. Two main steps are taken in the analysis through Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA): detecting high-density stations by input data normalization, and then, using these results, the T-Ridership tool automatically determines optimal station order to avoid overcrowded transit vehicles. Effectively our proposed web tool helps public transit to be safe to ride under risk of infections by reducing the density of riders on public transit vehicles as well as trip duration. These results can be used in expanding on and improving policy in public transit, to better plan the scheduled time of trains and buses in a way that prevents high-volume human contact, increases social distance, and reduces the possibility of disease transmission (available at:http://t-ridership.com and GitHub at: https://github.com/Imani-Saba/TRidership).

Understanding individual-level travel behavior changes due to COVID-19: Trip frequency, trip regularity, and trip distance

Understanding different mechanisms in trip changes depending on transportation modes due to COVID-19 pandemic is the key to providing practical insights for healthy communities. This study aimed to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individual-level travel behavior in Daejeon Metropolitan City, South Korea. Using smart card and private vehicle records, we explored different travel behaviors exhibited while using buses and private vehicles. An individual's travel behavior was represented in trip frequency, trip regularity, and trip distance and was compared weekly for about three months, including the initial period of pandemic. A significant decrease in trip frequency during non-peak hours on weekdays and during weekends indicates that people reduced non-mandatory trips more than commuter trips. This was also verified in that, as the number of infection cases increased, trip regularity with 24-hour intervals intensified. People maintained the size of their activity boundaries but reduced their daily trip distances. The interesting point is that private vehicle usage increased for shorter trip distances while bus usage dropped regardless of the ranges of trip distances under the pandemic. The findings provide evidence of possible inequality issues in transportation during the pandemic and can help make precautionary policies for future pandemics.

Evaluating the quality of the public transport service during the COVID-19 pandemic from the perception of two user groups

The current paper focuses on a comparative analysis of both public transport (PT) and private vehicle (PV) users' perceptions on the quality of the service. To detect the key components of PT attributes a new hybrid methodology is applied, combining the importance-performance analysis and the importance-performance map analysis. The proposed hybrid approach is simpler and more integrated than the existing methods in the literature. The sample comprises an online panel and a total of 1028 questionnaires for PV and PT users surveyed during the pandemic period in Budapest. The results of the applied methods show that among the different groups, the service hour, the proximity, and the frequency attributes are important and performed well in the years of COVID-19. On the other hand, the temperature and the cleanliness factors are not significant predictors of the PV and PT users' general satisfaction. The obtained results can be used by local governments and authorities, who seek to identify areas to enhance the service quality of PT during movement restrictions in a pandemic wave.

Perceived risks of transit use during COVID-19: Correlates and strategies from a case study in El Paso, Texas

INTRODUCTION

COVID-19 has led to public transportation ridership plummeting and thus created fiscal crises and operational difficulties for transit operators. Although transit services remain essential for people with limited access to alternative transportation modes, the unfavorable public view keeps potential riders from transit. The public transportation industry is in dire need of restoring trust and recovering ridership.

METHODS

In July 2020, we conducted an online survey in El Paso, Texas, to investigate COVID-19 risk perceptions related to transit use. A total of 712 valid responses, consisting of 613 English and 99 Spanish responses, were included in the analyses.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Descriptive and bivariate analyses showed many choice transit riders changed their mobility patterns by abandoning public transportation. Survey participants reported that social distancing and cleaning services were very important in encouraging them to return to transit. The free fare policy was also a stimulus for the existing riders to continue their transit use during the pandemic. The multivariable analysis results highlighted that public knowledge plays a vital role in COVID-19 risk perceptions and transit use decisions. Major opportunities exist in terms of public awareness campaigns that inform the public about the COVID-19 related safety measures transit operators are implementing. We further suggest some practical strategies to enhance public communication and help transit operators recover from COVID-19. This study offers timely insights for public policy stakeholders, including transit agencies, to better utilize their resources to protect public health, regain public confidence, and bring passengers back.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourist public transportation use and on its determinants: Evidence from a Catalan coastal destination

Despite the key importance of public transportation for the accessibility, attractiveness, and sustainability of tourist areas, little is known about how the COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted its use among tourists. In response, we compared the likelihood of using transit among visitors in a Catalan coastal area based on surveys conducted in 2019 (n = 1493) and 2020 (n = 1465). The pandemic caused a significant decline in tourists' use of public transportation, from 54.5% in 2019 to 34.6% in 2020, and in mobility at the destination. Results from a set of bivariate probabilistic models revealed that though most of the traditional determinants of visitors' use of transit remained unaltered, pandemic-related factors were associated with its decline. For the tourism sector and for local authorities and transit agencies, those results characterize the crucial challenge of ensuring the use of public transit among visitors in consideration of its many environmental and social benefits.

The COVID 19 pandemic, daily mobility and household welfare: Evidence from Tajikistan

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed severe restrictions on daily mobility for people globally. We use a monthly household panel dataset that covers a period both before and after the outbreak began to examine the impact of COVID-19 on daily mobility and household welfare in Tajikistan. The feature of our dataset is that it contains information on daily mobility for those traveling by vehicle along with their travel purposes. We provide several new findings. First, the impact of the pandemic on daily mobility was limited in Tajikistan, in contrast with the evidence from other countries. The pandemic discouraged motorized travel for family-related purposes in all income groups while keeping other vehicle travel intact for reasons such as work and shopping under the country's lenient travel restrictions. Second, the effects of concerns about the pandemic were not uniform across all vehicle travel when different purposes are taken into account. People who were very concerned about the pandemic were more likely to refrain from motorized travel for family-related purposes. Third, refraining from travel for family purposes exacerbated food insecurity, implying that the safety net provided by family members and relatives was hampered by the limited ability to travel during the pandemic.

Intentions to use ride-sourcing services in Vietnam: What happens after three months without COVID-19 infections?

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new risks and stress for paid transport users worldwide. COVID-19 has changed mobility dynamics worldwide, including low- and middle-income countries (e.g., Vietnam). The present study aims to provide an in-depth understanding of ride-sourcing passengers' behavioural intentions when COVID-19 pandemic management successfully prevented community transmission by extending the TPB with two constructs: perceived virus infection risk and problem-focused coping. Using self-administered questionnaires, data were collected from ride-sourcing customers in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam). A total of 540 responses were used for validating the proposed theorethical model. The structural equation model results indicate that problem-focused coping is a multi-faceted construct with two dimensions: problem-solving and self-protection. Also, problem-focused coping has the highest total effect on the intention to use ride-sourcing services following a period of COVID-19 suppression (3 months without identified cases). The findings also reveal that attitude partially mediates the link between problem-focused coping and behavioural intention. The results of this study could be used to develop strategies to promote ride-sourcing services in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Presence of tourists and perceived safety from COVID-19 among local bus users: Evidence from a Mediterranean city

Since the start of COVID-19 pandemic, public transport has been signalled as a potential contagion hot-spot, leading to a generalised decrease in its use. However, public transport use is still being used and little is known about how the perception of loyal users is configured in contexts of influenza-like viruses such as SARS-CoV-2. The configuration of the perception of safety acquires a critical importance in urban contexts where the public transport system is used both by tourists and local users. The presence of strangers or higher crowding levels could impact the perception of safety among residents and their consequent travel behaviour. In the present study, we explored how the presence of tourists influences the configuration of the perception safety related to the transmission of COVID-19 on public transport of daily users. We used data from an ad-hoc survey conducted at the main bus stations and stops of the Tarragona Urban Area (Catalonia, Spain) between August and September 2020. This area includes the Costa Daurada coastal destination. The 2020 summer holiday season was characterised for the relaxation of mobility restrictions and the start of the second wave of COVID-19. Results show how the presence of tourists in buses negatively influenced the perception of safety of local users. However, this influence can be mostly explained to their prior perception of risk of contagion. These findings will be useful for policymakers and public transport managers in both the latter stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and future virus-related epidemics to maintain public transport ridership.

Development of a Passenger Assistance System to Increase the Attractiveness of Local Public Transport

In this paper, we present a concept for an assistance system for public transport passengers currently being developed for Kassel, Germany, and its surrounding area. The assistance system aims at increasing the attractiveness of local public transport by reducing barriers to use, thus promoting sustainable travel behavior. Three main barriers were identified: crowded vehicles, missed connections, and inconveniences in the transportation of shopping bags and luggage. To tackle these issues, three assistance system services were conceptualized: the occupancy rate informing passengers about the occupancy level of vehicles, the transfer connection monitor and secure system giving passengers the option to communicate transfer connection requests, and the delivery service allowing the use of public transport while shopping without the need to transport purchased goods. The three services are presented in detail along with the user interfaces they will be integrated into. Moreover, for the further implementation of the assistance system, a user requirement analysis is outlined. We finally give an overview and outlook regarding the implementation and evaluation of the concept in laboratory studies and a one-year field study.

The Outbreak of COVID-19 Pandemic in Relation to Sense of Safety and Mobility Changes in Public Transport Using the Example of Warsaw

Worldwide, many different actions have been taken by local and national governments to control the spread of COVID-19. The impact of these measures can be seen in different areas, especially in passenger transport and travel behaviour. This study examines the changes that have occurred in travel behaviour, using the example of the capital city of Warsaw, Poland, in relation to measures undertaken to control the spread of COVID-19 and the sense of safety among passengers that was supposed to be provided by public transport organisers. Data were collected through an online survey questionnaire that included questions about past (before COVID-19) and present (during COVID-19) travel behaviour, mode choice and the frequency of trips by public transport users in Warsaw. The results showed significant changes in mobility and travel behaviour along with most common threats seen by public transport users. There was a major shift from public to individual modes of transport in the city area. The outcomes of this study could play a significant role in transport planning in the case of any other situation that affects public transport on such a level as the COVID-19 pandemic has. In particular, local and national authorities could use this knowledge for better planning for any type of lockdowns.

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on public transport usage and route choice: Evidences from a long-term tracking study in urban area

The COVID-19 pandemic strongly affected mobility around the world. Public transport was particularly hindered, since people may perceive it as unsafe and decide to avoid it. Moreover, in Switzerland, several restrictions were applied at the beginning of the first pandemic wave (16/03/2020), to reduce the contagion. This study observes how the pandemic affected travel behaviour of public transport users, focusing on route choice and recurrent trips. We conducted a travel survey based on GPS tracking during the first pandemic wave, following 48 users for more than 4 months. The very same users were also tracked in spring 2019, allowing a precise comparison of travel behaviour before and during the pandemic. We analyse how the pandemic affected users, in terms of travel distance, mode share and location during the day. We specifically focus on recurrent trips, commuting and non-commuting, observing how mode and route changed between the two different periods. Finally, we estimate a route choice model for public transport (Mixed Path Size Logit), based on trips during the two different years, to identify how the route choice criteria changed during the pandemic. The main differences identified in travel behaviour during the pandemic are a different perception of costs of transfers and of travel time in train, and that users no longer have a clear preferred route for a recurrent trip, but often choose different routes.

Structural equation modeling of public transport use with COVID-19 precautions: An extension of the norm activation model

This study aims to identify the travelers' attitudes and preferences towards the use of public transport during COVID-19 through the Norm-Activation Model (NAM). A questionnaire survey was designed to assess the traveler's awareness, sense of responsibility, and moral obligations to comply with safety norms or guidelines while using public transport in Lahore, Pakistan. The Structural Equation Modeling method was applied to analyze the collected 1516 complete responses. The survey results and measurement equations confirmed the association between observed and corresponding latent variables. The results of SEM revealed that the travelers' Awareness of Consequences (AC) and Ascription of Responsibility (AR) are positively correlated with Personal Norms (PN), whereas attitudes towards public transport are negatively related to the PN. The perceived behavioral control (PBC) and PN have negative structural correlations with public transport use. However, the attitudes towards public transport are strong predictors of travelers' behavior towards public transport. The current motorcycle users and high-income people have low preferences, whereas current users of public transport modes and middle-income people have high preferences to choose public transport during a pandemic. The travelers' perceived difficulty of complying with safety guidelines while traveling, such as wearing a facemask, use of sanitizers, and maintaining a social distance, have a significant impact on their public transport use. The travelers' better awareness, responsibility, and trust in using public transport may have a strong influence on their preferences towards public transport during a pandemic situation.

Open Business Model of COVID-19 Transformation of an Urban Public Transport System: The Experience of a Large Russian City

Dialectics, or developmental transformation, would eventually cause any system to change. The level and depth of these changes vary and depend on the power of external influence and system reservation mechanisms. The art of managing system processes consists of two main aspects. The first aspect involves the sagacity of managers and predicting general environmental change trends (and their impacts on the managed system). The second involves adjusting to these trends, maximizing possible benefits, and minimizing the negative manifestations of this process. Innovation plays an important role, contributing to system transformations with maximal effect and minimal loss. Public transport systems are important elements in cities, as they provide spatial mobility for at least half of the citizens of a city who cannot use individual transportation. Modern urbanization and peculiarities of the social–economic statuses of many citizens contribute to the fact that organized public transportation is unprofitable. The low solvency of citizens who use public transportation services means that passenger transport systems do not work with enough profitability. As a result, governing institutions often choose to subsidize unprofitable transporter activities, thereby prolonging the functioning of unprofitable routes. This is possible only in conditions of sustainability (in regards to a non-optimal system), when the environment is calm, and its negative impact is low. “Black swans” (according to N. Taleb) are bifurcation factors that break the sustainability of non-optimal system. Urban public transport (UPT) of a large Russian city, Tyumen, experienced it in 2020, in connection with the COVID-19 lockdown. The sharp decrease in population mobility in Tyumen, in 2020–2021, caused the need for a complete transformation of the transport service system. However, managers did not want to fundamentally change a system that consensually suited most counterparties. The search for new balances in a system that demands transformation is one way for sustainable provision. This article looks at the transformation and sustainability of a UPT system in the large Russian city of Tyumen, under conditions affected by the negative impact of COVID-19. Results of a comparative (i.e., pre-crisis (2019) and crisis (2020)) Pareto analysis of the contributions of different UPT routes are presented. Transformation of the structure of the UPT route system can overcome the “crisis” COVID-19 period and minimize its financial-economic costs.

Public transport versus solo travel mode choices during the COVID-19 pandemic: Self-reported evidence from a developing country

A sharp decline in public transport use has been reported worldwide since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the virus spreads through close contacts, particularly in closed environments, public transport vehicles could be considered as hotspots for its transmission. However, public transport operations cannot be entirely stopped as many people in developing countries rely on them for their travel needs. This study aims to provide insights into people's travel mode choices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data, i.e., 1,516 complete survey responses, were obtained through a questionnaire that was conducted in Lahore, Pakistan. A binary logistic model was developed using the collected data to model the likelihood of choosing solo or public transport modes during COVID-19. The results explained that the respondents preferred solo modes more than the public transport modes during the pandemic. Gender, income, education, profession, trip frequency, car ownership, motorbike ownership, and an underlying factor that was defined as “safety precautions” were found to be significant predictors of the public transport choice relative to solo modes. Females tend to choose public transport modes relative to solo modes as compared to males. Private vehicle (car or motorbike) owners were less likely to use public modes relative to solo modes when compared to those who do not own private vehicles. The outcomes of this study could be important for the government authorities, policymakers, and transport operators to understand the public transport use in developing countries during pandemics. Such information will be useful to devise regulations and preventive measures to control infectious diseases associated with public transport use, particularly in developing countries, where private transport options are limited.

COVID-19 Countermeasures and Passengers’ Confidence of Urban Rail Travel in Bangkok

Rail transit systems around the world have been suffering from heavily reduced ridership due to reduced capacity for social distancing and passengers’ concern over the risk of COVID-19 infection. Various countermeasures were implemented to reduce the COVID-19 risk so that passengers felt safe to travel on rail. The objectives of this study were to evaluate COVID-19 countermeasures of Bangkok’s urban rail from passengers’ viewpoints and examine its influence on passenger’s confidence. The background of the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand and the rail countermeasures implemented in Bangkok were summarized. The data were obtained from an interview survey of 1105 railway passengers conducted at the stations during the second wave of the pandemic. Factor analyses and structural equation modeling were conducted. The results revealed that social distancing was not satisfied by the passengers but adversely caused inconvenience and increased infection risk when the station or rail were congested. On the other hand, the passenger temperature check, face mask enforcement, and hand sanitization countermeasures were found to highly and positively contribute to passengers’ confidence. Contact tracing application was also found to raise awareness and confidence. The findings provided insights for rail authorities and related agencies to effectively implement the countermeasures that would be practically and financially sustainable.