How Does the Risk Perception of COVID-19 Affect Bus Travel Intentions of the Elderly? The case of Beijing, China

To examine the bus travel behaviour of the elderly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study analysed the mechanisms influencing the elderly's risk perceptions regarding behavioural intention towards bus travel whilst focusing on the normalisation stage of pandemic prevention and control. Based on the theory of planned behaviour, a structural equation model of the elderly's bus travel intention was constructed. The interactions among six factors-including attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, cognitive risk perception, affective risk perception and the behavioural intention of the elderly's bus travel-were quantitatively analysed. Valid sample data were used for empirical research. The results of this study show that perceived behavioural control, attitudes and subjective norms have a significant positive impact on the behavioural intentions of the elderly's bus travel during the normalisation stage of pandemic prevention and control, with perceived behavioural control being the most influential factor. Moreover, perceived behavioural control also has a significant positive impact on attitudes, which indirectly influences behavioural intention. Cognitive risk perception has a direct and significant negative impact on attitudes, perceived behavioural control and subjective norms; however, affective risk perception only has a significant negative impact on subjective norms. Additionally, there is a positive correlation between the two, with both indirectly and negatively influencing the behavioural intentions of the elderly's bus travel. This study can provide a basis for the formulation and improvement of pandemic prevention measures for bus travel during the normalisation stage of pandemic prevention and control to safeguard the elderly's bus travel rights.