A qualitative study on transportation experiences of public transport users in Türkiye during the COVID-19 pandemic

Authors

Şerife Yılmaz
Gizem Fındık
Bahar Öz

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

2024

Subject Area

place - asia, place - europe, planning - personal safety/crime, planning - surveys, policy - equity, ridership - behaviour

Keywords

Public transportation, Travel behavior, Mobility, COVID-19 Pandemic, Qualitative study, Thematic analysis

Abstract

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, people refrained from crowded places; public transport is one of them. The need for movement was restricted as part of governmental precautions. However, some people continue to go to workplaces as usual, and the ones who do not have personal vehicles continue using public transportation. The current study aims to investigate the experiences of public transport users (i.e., passengers) in Türkiye during the COVID-19 pandemic. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten people living in Ankara. As a result of thematic analysis, four overarching themes and fifteen sub-themes were determined. These overarching themes include changes in travel behavior during COVID-19, factors influencing transportation preferences, suggestions for better planning of public transport services, and suggestions for better crisis management. The results suggest significant policy implications at the municipal and governmental level, emphasizing the need for transparent risk communication, timely measures, and enforcement. Additionally, the study highlights transportation inequity, which becomes visible after the pandemic. We believe that qualitative data provided valuable insight to road authorities about road users' transportation experiences during the pandemic and, thus, how to manage better the pandemic's effect on the transport system based on the mobility needs of the citizens. We hope the results could benefit road authorities in developing effective policies and plans for all countries in the world, especially for the ones having a specific need to improve safety in traffic settings.

Rights

Permission to publish the abstract has been given by Elsevier, copyright remains with them.

Comments

Transportation Research Part F Home Page:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/13698478

Recommended Citation

Yılmaz, Ş., Fındık, G., & Öz, B. (2024). A qualitative study on transportation experiences of public transport users in Türkiye during the COVID-19 pandemic. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 100, 1-12.