Factors Affecting Multimodal Transport during COVID-19: A Thai Service Provider Perspective

Abstract

Multimodal transport is a critical component in developing the international trade economy, and logistics service providers are a critical component in multimodal transport. However, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has seriously affected the transport system, especially in light of the ongoing rise in transportation costs which has increased firm operating costs. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has severely influenced the economic sector, resulting in decreased growth. This research aims to determine the priorities of the most important factors for developing and improving multimodal transport compared to pre-COVID-19 and during the COVID-19 outbreak. This research consisted of two stages. The first stage used bibliometric analysis to define multimodal transport dimensions and criteria based on the previous and current literature studies on multimodal transport and used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to verify the relationship between factors and multimodal transport. The second stage used the fuzzy best-worst method (FBW) combined benefit, opportunity, cost and risk (BOCR) to prioritize the improvement and development of multimodal transport during the COVID-19 crisis, which considers the perspective of logistics service providers in Thailand. These factors, when identified, would help policymakers design more efficient policies to improve and solve multimodal transport problems mainly caused by strict public health measures during COVID-19.