Study of COVID-19 impact on users' perception for transport modes choice in India

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected the transportation sector, leading to a change in travel behavior. One of the most important responses of countries worldwide to slow the spread of the pandemic has been to restrict the movement of people, which has had a considerable effect on transport systems and is likely to affect the modal choices of commuters. The social and economic effects of the COVID-19 epidemic on public transportation encompass beyond service performance and health risks to social equity, financial viability, and sustainable mobility. To assess the likely nature of such a shift, this study attempts to understand mode choice based on the perception of commuters for their work and non-work trips after the lockdown phase due to COVID-19. The Multinomial Logit Model was used in this study to find the association of mode choice with health-related safety perceptions of commuters for private and public transport, and their socio-economic and travel characteristics. Mode choice for private transport was found for work trips, whereas non-motorized transport for non-work (shopping, leisure, etc.) trips up to a distance of 10 km. The model results showed that significant factors for the increase in the usage of private transport and non-motorized transport relative to public transport were physical distancing and hygiene. This study provides results for future transportation policies in the post-COVID period. The results, like emerging positive perceptions of non-motorized modes, are very useful for making better investments in the country to promote sustainable transportation and articulating solutions to address high-risk perceptions associated with public transport modes.