Modelling school travel mode choice – the case of hanoi, vietnam

Abstract

The COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in adopting massively social distancing measures to tame the human-to-human transmission of the new coronavirus and protect public health. These intervention policies have caused changes in travel behavior, thereby expressing a need to update profiles of factors associated with mode choice. To respond to this research gap in part, this current study aims to model children’s mode decisions for school trips in the post-pandemic time in Hanoi. As regards mode usage, cycling is the main mode of active transport with a share at 23.3%, doubling the rate of 11% for walking. The dominant mode of traveling to school is the motorized modes (i.e., cars and motorcycles) with a proportion of 60%, meanwhile, school buses account for only 6.2%. As regards the determinants, when growing up, children tend to shift from being driven to traveling actively. The availability of cars increases the likelihood of using other modes compared to cycling. An opposite association is seen for the availability of bicycles. The flexibility in terms of a mother’s job is involved in a higher possibility of being driven for a child. A home-school distance less than 1 km is more suitable for walking compared to cycling; however, an inverse relationship is witnessed for a distance between 1 and 2 km. A distance over 2 km is more appropriate for motorized modes and school buses. To promote active transport to school, children’s travel demand should be taken transport planning into consideration. Developing cycling and walking facilities is essential, especially in urban districts. Additionally, limiting the use of private motorized modes would be useful.