Abstract:
The outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has changed mobility patterns and travel behaviors. Some commuters switched from public transport to private vehicle or taxi to avoid the risk of COVID-19 infection, adversely affecting the efficiency of the transport system overall. Effective measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 can provide assurance of public transport use and minimize changes in travel behaviors in favor of cars. This study aims to examine the effects of the COVID-19 preventive measures on mode choice, given the number of local transmitted cases and the proportion of vaccinated population. Hypothetical scenarios were constructed based on the following combinations of COVID-19 preventive measures, including the duration of quarantine of internal travelers, the proportion of face mask wearing population, and the proportion of vaccinated population. The stated preference surveys were conducted on people who normally used rail transit but also had private cars or taxi as travel options. The effects of the preventive measures and other factors were analyzed by descriptive statistics and Multinomial Logit choice modeling was used for analyzing the factors affecting the mode choices under each situation. Our findings showed that an increment of infected cases and the relaxation of preventive measures (i.e., mandatory mask wearing, required quarantine period) would lead people to refrain from using rail transit, particularly Males, individuals living with child under 12 years old, individuals with driver's license, individuals who think that they can't protect themselves from infection COVID-19, individuals who strongly agree that policy of wearing masks in public areas should be continued, individuals who think that allowing some type of activities can pose a risk of COVID-19 spreading, and individuals who strongly agree that riding on public transport increases the risk of infection. However, if there is a need for relax of measures (measures to wear a mask, quarantine measures). The need for vaccination measures, along with it, can reduce the likelihood of people changing their travel patterns.