The impacts of COVID-19 and social distancing on transport mode usage and travel satisfaction: Evidence from a transit-oriented city

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on travel behaviour and satisfaction in Hong Kong, a transit-oriented city. We analysed data from an online questionnaire survey (N = 1,119) to examine the factors that affect mode usage behaviour and travel satisfaction and considered several pandemic-related variables, including the perceived effectiveness of social distancing policies, the frequency of online activities and the perceived usefulness of technology. The results of our structural equation models revealed that (1) the modal shift from public transport to personalised transport was minimal in our case study, (2) an efficient public transport system improved passengers’ travel satisfaction, with reduced crowdedness enhancing this effect, and (3) the perceived effectiveness of social distancing influenced travel satisfaction and mode usage frequency but not the decision to shift to virtual ways of conducting activities. Our findings provide insight into the importance of a resilient transit system to maintain the population’s confidence in public transport and ensure travel satisfaction during the pandemic.