The aftermath of Covid-19: Changes in travel mode attributes for young males and females in Cape Town

Abstract

Introduction

The effects of considering different COVID-19 pandemic scenarios on attributes of transport modes for females and males are explored in this paper.

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic heavily affected the transport system of Cape Town, South Africa. Young adults, in particular, experienced high uncertainty, stress, and anxiety levels, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Data was collected from University of Cape Town students in online surveys. Individuals were assigned to one of three COVID-19 scenarios: ‘before’ (n=192), ‘during’ (n=210) and ‘after COVID-19’ (n = 229).

Results

Females and males consistently differed significantly in their perceived personal security, regardless of the COVID-19 scenarios.

Conclusion and recommendations

This paper shows that some transport modal attributes were affected differently per gender, ‘before’, ‘during’, and ‘after COVID-19’ scenarios. This provides insights into how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the transport attributes of young adults in Cape Town in the ‘missing middle’ and higher-income groups. Personal security is a main priority, especially for females, but is also relevant for males. This should be addressed in shared transport modes if young adults are to be drawn away from car ownership.