Long-term impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on travel behaviour

The need to understand the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the long-term travel behaviour of people has never been higher as a consequence of the second wave of pandemic. In this context, the current study aims to understand the willingness of people to use sustainable modes of transportation including shared modes of transport, and non-motorized transport, against non- shared modes of transport such as personal 2-wheelers and 4-wheelers in a post-vaccinated scenario. The study further models the willingness to choose public transportation under various COVID-19 preventive measures representing the perception of safety among people. An Integrated Choice and Latent Variable (ICLV) framework a employed in the modelling. The fear of contracting COVID-19 and the belief in remedial measures significantly influenced the mode choice of individuals. This highlighted a significant long-term impact of the pandemic on the travel behaviour of in-dividuals. The study concludes by presenting different strategies that could be adopted to make the existing sustainable modes safer, and hence, more attractive.

Automated summary

The study highlights the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the long-term travel behavior of individuals. It reveals that people are more willing to use sustainable modes of transportation and choose public transportation after receiving the vaccine. The fear of contracting the virus and trust in preventive measures are key factors influencing mode choice. Strategies need to be implemented to enhance the safety and attractiveness of existing sustainable modes of transportation.