Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Aug:109:1-11.
doi: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.05.005. Epub 2021 May 13.

Impact of COVID-19: A radical modal shift from public to private transport mode

Sanhita Das  1 , Alice Boruah  2 , Arunabha Banerjee  2 , Rahul Raoniar  2 , Suresh Nama  2 , Akhilesh Kumar Maurya  2
Affiliations

Impact of COVID-19: A radical modal shift from public to private transport mode

Sanhita Das et al. Transp Policy (Oxf). 2021 Aug.

Abstract

The unprecedented shock triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant impact on public transportation services, travel behavior and mode choice preferences. Increasing risk of virus contagion in shared travel modes might result in a systemic shift from public transport to car commute. Such a shift causes increased congestions, emissions with a burden on the existing infrastructure. Given the urgent need of reconsideration of transport in a post-COVID world, this study presents insights into the possible shift from public transport to car commute due to the coronavirus crisis, potential factors influencing the mode shift, with emphasis being also laid on suitable strategies for promoting public transport use in the future world. Based on an online questionnaire survey conducted in India, results of logistic regression model indicate that commuters' socio-economic characteristics such as age, gender and monthly income tend to significantly influence mode switch preferences. In addition, trip characteristics including travel time, overcrowding and hygiene are strongly associated with mode shift preferences from public transport to car use. Commuters' perceptions on several strategies for promoting public transport have also been assessed, which will indeed pave the way for the formulation of post-COVID transport policies. In essence, efforts need to be directed towards restoring users' confidence and trust by providing a safe, secure and healthy environment to the public transport users.

Keywords: COVID-19; Car; Mode choice; Mode shift; Public transport.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Research methodology.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Shift in mode choice with respect to travel time.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Almasri E., Alraee S. Factors affecting mode choice of work trips in developing cities—gaza as a case study. J. Transport. Technol. 2013;3(4):247–259.
    1. Basheer M.A., van der Waerden P., Kochan B., Bellemans T., Shah S.A.R. Multi-stage trips: an exploration of factors affecting mode combination choice of travelers in England. Transport Pol. 2019;81:95–105.
    1. Beck M.J., Hensher D.A. Insights into the impact of COVID-19 on household travel and activities in Australia–The early days under restrictions. Transport Pol. 2020;96:76–93. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Beirão G., Cabral J.S. Understanding attitudes towards public transport and private car: a qualitative study. Transport Pol. 2007;14(6):478–489.
    1. Bernhardt Decline in ridership, adapted timetables and disinfection-robots – the impact of Corona/COVID-10 on public transport. 2020. https://www.urban-transport-magazine.com/en/decline-in-ridership-adapted... Retrieved on 02 August 2020 from.

LinkOut - more resources