Characterising public transport shifting to active and private modes in South American capitals during the COVID-19 pandemic

Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the profile and preferences of urban mobility in Brazil: Challenges and opportunities

“…In general, the mobility changes mainly affected the demands for public transport, with drastic reductions during lockdowns periods that were not recovered after the return of the activities ( Basu and Ferreira, 2021 , Beck and Hensher, 2020 , Cui et al, 2020 , Facal et al, 2021 , Vallejo-Borba et al, 2022 , Zheng, 2020 ). This was due to increased awareness of the risks of transmission of the virus among passengers sharing spaces in public transport vehicles with little ventilation, despite the existence of centralized air conditioning systems ( Butler et al, 2020 ).…”

“…On the other hand, the pandemic has increased the popularity of private vehicles for all income, age and gender groups, and long-term effects are observed ( Basu and Ferreira, 2021 , Facal et al, 2021 , Thombre and Agarwal, 2021 , Vallejo-Borba et al, 2022 ). The advantages of using a car became more evident during the pandemic.…”

“…Walking and cycling are highlighted for their importance not only in maintaining wellbeing, but also in preserving physical activity levels (especially in the context of the pandemic), reducing the risk of increased obesity and mental health problems ( Arellana et al, 2020 , Kroesen, 2014 , Teixeira and Lopes, 2020 ). However, perceived behaviors in Latin America suggest that it is difficult to encourage active mobility in response to the changes in mobility caused by the pandemic, because barriers to walking and cycling were already being faced before ( Arellana et al, 2020 , Ruiz-Padillo et al, 2022 , Vallejo-Borba et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Although the entire world has undergone the consequences of the pandemic, the impacts depend on the different COVID-19 preventive measures adopted by responsible authorities, and, in particular, developing countries have experienced an increase in inequalities and fragility of social systems ( Balbontin et al, 2021 , Vallejo-Borba et al, 2022 ). Mobility restrictions in the urban environment mainly affected the use of public transport, but many countries also identified a positive opportunity for active mobility ( Beck and Hensher, 2020 , Teixeira and Lopes, 2020 , Chai et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Mobility restrictions in the urban environment mainly affected the use of public transport, but many countries also identified a positive opportunity for active mobility ( Beck and Hensher, 2020 , Teixeira and Lopes, 2020 , Chai et al, 2021 ). In contrast, in the Global South, especially in Latin America, the measures taken and the behavioral changes have increased the preference for private vehicles and made travel and accessibility difficult for low-income and periphery families ( Arellana et al, 2020 , Guzman et al, 2021 , Vallejo-Borba et al, 2022 ). The literature on the impacts of the pandemic on urban mobility is still small but growing, although it is mainly limited to the effects of the initial stage of the pandemic, and particularly focused on more developed regions ( Balbontin et al, 2021 , Kim and Kwan, 2020 ).…”