Early Responses of Intercity Travelers to The Threat of COVID-19: The Case of Turkey

Abstract

Mobility triggered spread of the COVID-19 pandemic more, thus, an immediate precaution restricted intercity travels. Later, a “New Normal (NN)” concept rose as a new paradigm for travel decision and mode choices with health concerns. Changes in intercity mobility characteristics due to pandemic in Turkey were evaluated via an online survey by the General Directorate of Turkish Highways (GDH) with 1012 participants with intercity travel experience before pandemic. Respondents were investigated for their intercity travel decisions and modes during early restrictions and the NN stages. The main objectives included better understanding of the impacts of the pandemic on current and future travel behavior, activity engagement, and overall trip making. Revealed travel preferences before pandemic, during early restrictions and the NN stages, were evaluated employing non-parametric statistical tests to identify the intercity travel patterns. In-depth analyses were performed comparing the behavior due to the risk perception and explore the relationships between the variables. While 55% of those surveyed had not traveled during the early restrictions stage of COVID-19, this rate dropped to 38% during the NN stage. Results confirmed significant modal shifts to private modes and increased inequality among females and elderly. Air travelers stated a stronger return back to original mode after pandemic, when compared to rail or bus. It is seen that COVID- 19 pandemic has not only affected people emotionally and socially, but also changed their mobility behaviors and mode preferences because of both restrictions on intercity travels and health concerns while traveling.