Exploring the Traveler’s Intentions to Use Public Transport during the COVID-19 Pandemic while Complying with Precautionary Measures
Public transport use has drastically declined during the COVID-19 pandemic because the virus spreads through close contact with infected people and contaminated surfaces, especially in closed-environments. Evidence suggests that following the necessary safety guidelines can limit the spread of the v...
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doaj-07f3c680b97a49aab96132af8e27d21c2021-04-17T23:03:11ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172021-04-01113630363010.3390/app11083630Exploring the Traveler’s Intentions to Use Public Transport during the COVID-19 Pandemic while Complying with Precautionary MeasuresMuhammad Abdullah0Nazam Ali1Charitha Dias2Tiziana Campisi3Muhammad Ashraf Javid4Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Management and Technology, Lahore 54782, PakistanDepartment of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Management and Technology, Lahore 54782, PakistanQatar Transportation and Traffic Safety Center, College of Engineering, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, QatarFaculty of Engineering and Architecture, University of Enna Kore, Cittadella Universitaria, 94100 Enna, ItalyDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Nizwa, Birkat-al-Mouz, Nizwa 616, OmanPublic transport use has drastically declined during the COVID-19 pandemic because the virus spreads through close contact with infected people and contaminated surfaces, especially in closed-environments. Evidence suggests that following the necessary safety guidelines can limit the spread of the virus, however, non-compliance to precautionary measures has been reported widely. Ignoring the precautionary measures may lead to quick transmission of the virus since public transport vehicles generally resemble closed-environments. This study explores people’s intentions to use public transport during the COVID-19 pandemic while adhering to precautionary measures. For this purpose, a total of 1516 useable responses were collected through a questionnaire survey conducted in Lahore, Pakistan. Regression models were developed to model the intentions to use public transport during the pandemic, to adhere to the precautionary measures while using public transport during the pandemic, and to use public transport while suffering from COVID-19 disease. The results of this study will help in understanding the intentions of the public transport users during the COVID-19 pandemic. It will also provide insights for policymakers and public transport operators about further necessary actions to promote safe public transport use during the current and any possible future pandemics. As public transport use declined during the pandemic, policy implications for alternative mobility options such as demand-responsive-transport (DRT) are also presented. Considering the study results, a policy interventions framework is proposed to promote the safe use of various public transport modes, particularly in developing regions.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/8/3630COVID-19public transporttraveler intentionordinal regressionpandemic |
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DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Muhammad Abdullah Nazam Ali Charitha Dias Tiziana Campisi Muhammad Ashraf Javid |
spellingShingle |
Muhammad Abdullah Nazam Ali Charitha Dias Tiziana Campisi Muhammad Ashraf Javid Exploring the Traveler’s Intentions to Use Public Transport during the COVID-19 Pandemic while Complying with Precautionary Measures Applied Sciences COVID-19 public transport traveler intention ordinal regression pandemic |
author_facet |
Muhammad Abdullah Nazam Ali Charitha Dias Tiziana Campisi Muhammad Ashraf Javid |
author_sort |
Muhammad Abdullah |
title |
Exploring the Traveler’s Intentions to Use Public Transport during the COVID-19 Pandemic while Complying with Precautionary Measures |
title_short |
Exploring the Traveler’s Intentions to Use Public Transport during the COVID-19 Pandemic while Complying with Precautionary Measures |
title_full |
Exploring the Traveler’s Intentions to Use Public Transport during the COVID-19 Pandemic while Complying with Precautionary Measures |
title_fullStr |
Exploring the Traveler’s Intentions to Use Public Transport during the COVID-19 Pandemic while Complying with Precautionary Measures |
title_full_unstemmed |
Exploring the Traveler’s Intentions to Use Public Transport during the COVID-19 Pandemic while Complying with Precautionary Measures |
title_sort |
exploring the traveler’s intentions to use public transport during the covid-19 pandemic while complying with precautionary measures |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Applied Sciences |
issn |
2076-3417 |
publishDate |
2021-04-01 |
description |
Public transport use has drastically declined during the COVID-19 pandemic because the virus spreads through close contact with infected people and contaminated surfaces, especially in closed-environments. Evidence suggests that following the necessary safety guidelines can limit the spread of the virus, however, non-compliance to precautionary measures has been reported widely. Ignoring the precautionary measures may lead to quick transmission of the virus since public transport vehicles generally resemble closed-environments. This study explores people’s intentions to use public transport during the COVID-19 pandemic while adhering to precautionary measures. For this purpose, a total of 1516 useable responses were collected through a questionnaire survey conducted in Lahore, Pakistan. Regression models were developed to model the intentions to use public transport during the pandemic, to adhere to the precautionary measures while using public transport during the pandemic, and to use public transport while suffering from COVID-19 disease. The results of this study will help in understanding the intentions of the public transport users during the COVID-19 pandemic. It will also provide insights for policymakers and public transport operators about further necessary actions to promote safe public transport use during the current and any possible future pandemics. As public transport use declined during the pandemic, policy implications for alternative mobility options such as demand-responsive-transport (DRT) are also presented. Considering the study results, a policy interventions framework is proposed to promote the safe use of various public transport modes, particularly in developing regions. |
topic |
COVID-19 public transport traveler intention ordinal regression pandemic |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/8/3630 |
work_keys_str_mv |
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