Effects of Covid-19 pandemic on mode choice behavior of working Filipinos in Metro Manila

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting control measures by the government impacted the travel behavior of Filipinos. With work trips being a major part of trips generated, this study aimed to investigate the effects of the pandemic on working Filipinos' mode choice. Data were collected from employed residents of Metro Manila using an online survey. About 48% of the respondents preferred using public transportation for work pre-pandemic. This decreased to 22% during the transport lockdown and increased slightly to 25% after the lockdown was lifted. Active transport share increased by 3% during the lockdown but went back down after it was lifted. Using multinomial logistic regression, the significant factors that influence the pre-pandemic respondents’ mode choice were age, household income, travel cost, and vehicle ownership. During the lockdown, travel distance, travel time, and sex assigned at birth became significant also. After the lockdown, the significant factors reverted to that pre-pandemic.