Factors affecting the mode choice behavior before and during COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan

The transport sector has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting travel behaviors and mobility patterns around the globe. The pandemic has also affected mode choice behavior. This research study modeled the mode choice behavior before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan. Data was collected through an online questionnaire survey consisting of questions about socio-economic characteristics, factors affecting mode choice, and mode chosen for shorter as well as longer distances for both before and during COVID-19 pandemic situations. The results indicated that public transport use declined, whereas walking and bicycling slightly increased during the pandemic. The respondents placed more priority on safety and security, comfort, cleanliness, infection concerns, per-sonal social status, availability of hand-sanitizers, waiting, and paying more for less con-gested vehicles during the pandemic. Factor analysis was performed to explore the underlying factors affecting mode choice before and during the pandemic. Discrete choice models were developed to model the mode choice behavior. Monthly household income and pandemic-related underlying factor were significant predictors of mode choice for shorter distances (i.e., < 5 km) during the pandemic. Whereas, gender, car ownership and monthly household income were significant predictors of mode choice for longer distances (i.e., > 5 km) during the pandemic. Understanding the modal shift during a pandemic will surely help urban and transport planners to prepare better for effective transport manage-ment in the future. Policy implications are also presented to help policymakers in develop-ing policies for post-pandemic mobility needs, particularly in developing countries. & COPY; 2021 Tongji University and Tongji University Press. Publishing Services by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/4.0/).