Travel behaviour changes and risk perception during COVID-19: A case study of Malaysia

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted travel behaviours due to the need for movement restrictions. The restrictions adversely affected various aspects of health and the economy. This study aimed to investigate factors affecting trip frequency during the recovery period of the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia. An online national cross-sectional survey was conducted to collect data in conjunction with different movement restriction policies. The questionnaire includes socio-demographics, experience with COVID-19, risk perception of COVID-19, and trip frequency on several activities during the pandemic. Mann Whitney U was conducted to determine whether there were statistically significant differences between the socio-demographic factors for the respondents in the first and second surveys. Results show no significant difference in socio-demographic factors except for the level of education. The results indicate that the respondents from both surveys were comparable. Next, Spearman correlation analyses were conducted to find significant correlations between trip frequencies toward socio-demographics, experience with COVID-19 and risk perception. There was a correlation between the frequency of travel and risk perception for both surveys. Regression analyses were performed based on the findings to investigate trip frequency determinants during the pandemic. Perceived risk, gender, and occupation influenced the trip frequencies for both surveys. By understanding the influence of risk perception on the frequency of travel, the government can identify the appropriate policy during a pandemic or health emergency to avoid impeding normal travel behaviour. Thus, people's mental and psychological well-being are not negatively affected.

Wishful thinking? Addressing the long-term implications of COVID-19 for transport in Nigeria

With their inherent economic and infrastructure challenges, developing countries must assess commuters' travel behaviour and establish whether consumers' desire for sustainable transportation is feasible or merely wishful thinking. Using a qualitative research design, these issues were explored based on semi-structured interviews conducted with 72 participants across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. Findings suggest that the desires and dreams of the commuters are great, and they want to reduce their journeys, work from home, and do online shopping. However, when they consider the inherent challenges, they can only hope for a better future. COVID-19 has impacted the ownership or use of motorised and non-motorised transport, but this is also influenced by affordability, convenience, and awareness. Likewise, there are long-term effects on home and work location choices, but this is further influenced by the large informal economy of the country, job accessibility and the infrastructural developments across the country.