Risk perception and travel satisfaction associated with the use of public transport in the time of COVID-19. The case of Turin, Italy

Abstract

The present study examined the association between risk perception and travel satisfaction related to the use of public transport (PT) during COVID-19 pandemic in Turin, Italy. A total of 448 PT users took part in an online survey conducted from January to March 2021. It investigated safety and risk perception related to the use of PT, and the users’ subjective experience, measured through the Satisfaction with Travel Scale (STS). These perceptions were compared for three time scenarios: before the pandemic, during the pandemic, and in the future at the end of the pandemic emergency. Results showed that COVID-19 influenced respondents risk perception both during the pandemic and in their projections about the future, especially for females. The risk of contagion from COVID-19 is perceived as higher inside a PT vehicle than in the adjacent/waiting spaces. Regarding travel satisfaction, the overall scores of the STS indicated that the pandemic has impacted reported well-being while travelling, both now and in the future. The dimension of activation shifted towards the negative pole and did not indicate a return to risk perception before the pandemic levels at the end of the crisis (especially for females). Respondents reported a significant decrease in their level of pleasure and satisfaction during the pandemic, but expect that in the future these levels will go back to the levels previously experienced. Regarding travel satisfaction, PT users aged 36 to 50 years reported the highest level of satisfaction, while younger users (18 to 35 years) reported the lowest degree of satisfaction in all three time scenarios. Overall, the results clearly pinpoint that health-related perceived risk is becoming a key determinant for PT use. Within this context, different dimensions of travel satisfaction proved to be impacted differently by the pandemic, for both current and future scenarios.

An evaluation of the impact of COVID-19 safety measures in public transit spaces on riders' Worry of virus contraction

“…In line with results from existing literature ( Zafri et al, 2022 ; Gnerre et al, 2022 ), this experiment finds that levels of perceived risk vary by gender. Travelers who identify as women experience significantly higher levels of worry in populated transit spaces than those who identify as men, and CSMs do not have a significant impact on mitigating this gender disparity.…”

“…Research from Turin, Italy by Gnerre et al (2022) continued this line of inquiry. Engaging online survey participants between January and March of 2021, this work focused specifically on perception of risk associated with transit.…”

“…With the aim of providing the first evaluation of the effectiveness of CSM policy in impacting riders' feelings, this research builds upon the groundwork laid by earlier studies. As recommended by Gnerre et al (2022) , this study tests whether an increase in information provision might impact rider feelings. As recommended by Zafri et al (2022) , the potential influence of discrepancies in COVID-19 immunity between individuals is examined.…”

Study of COVID-19 impact on users' perception for transport modes choice in India

“…A study by Kroesen and Chorus in the Netherland has shown that commuters' perceptions influence choices related to travel [ 17 ]. The outcomes of the study by Gnerre et al, 2022 in Italy have provided detailed insights into socio-demographic and risk perceptions as influencing factors with public transport use [ 18 ]. This study highlighted that the COVID-19 emergency has significantly changed the perceptions of infection risk when traveling on public transport, both during the time period of study and in the future.…”

Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the spatio-temporal characteristics of a bicycle-sharing system: A case study of Pun Pun, Bangkok, Thailand

“…In order to keep the pandemic under control, a wide range of non-pharmaceutical mitigation strategies, such as lockdown and work-from-home measures, have been accordingly imposed, coupled with worldwide vaccination programs [2]. Although such measures have proven themselves useful in fighting against the COVID-19 outbreak, as they help reduce the number of daily contacts-and so risks of infection-they adversely affect mobility of people and their respective transport behavior [3][4][5][6]. Particularly, people are more concerned in taking crowded public transportation [7][8][9][10][11], leading to a shift of transportation modes towards private individual ones [12][13][14][15][16].…”