The Unintended Consequences of COVID-19 Mitigation Measures on Mass Transit and Car Use
risk perception, covid-19, Public transport, mitigation measures, travel behaviour, post-lockdown travel
As the world adapts to COVID-19, the transport behaviour of commuters has been greatly modified. Governments and transit authorities will need strong, well-received mitigation measures and education campaigns to maintain the historically upward trend of sustainable mass transit usage following this pandemic. This study, from a survey of 1968 Canadians in early May 2020, reveals that, following the end of stay-at-home orders, commuters intend to use their cars more and mass transit less. Driving these behavioural changes are commuters’ perceptions that mass transit use will negatively impact their health safety, peace of mind, and travel experience. The results also show that certain mitigation measures, such as more frequent cleaning and mandatory hand washing, are likely to reduce this decline, whereas e-monitoring and the use of health certificates will be detrimental to mass transit ridership through user perception. These results can help lessen the environmental impact of the public returning to work by encouraging their continued use of more environmentally friendly modes of transportation.
Élise Labonté-LeMoyne, Shang-Lin Chen, Constantinos K. Coursaris, Sylvain Sénécal, Pierre-Majorique Léger
Environmental effects of industries and plants, Renewable energy sources, Environmental sciences