Exploring modal shift in non-active sustainable transport modes during the first wave of COVID-19 in Bangladesh

Although mode switching caused by COVID-19 is an important travel behavior question in the Global North, countries in the Global South, particularly South Asia, have yet to adequately identify how transportation systems and travel behavior have evolved due to the pandemic. To contribute to this question, this study explored changes in the use frequency of the most common non-active sustainable alternatives in Bangladesh, namely buses and rickshaws. By emphasizing attitudes and perceptions along with sociodemographic characteristics, this study contributed to the understanding of how different factors influence individuals’ shifts in the usage frequency of buses and rickshaws in Bangladesh. Our study suggested that in general, buses have lost more ridership than rickshaws. Findings from a multivariate ordinal model suggested that the middle-income group had reduced their bus use frequency, and the low-income group had increased their rickshaw use frequency during the first wave of the pandemic. Also, there could be a possible reduction in bus use in the post-lockdown and post-pandemic periods if the risk perception continues to remain in the public consciousness. Moreover, those who cared less about the social distancing measures and had confidence in their immune system had increased their bus use frequency during the pandemic. Compared to bus use frequency, there have been fewer changes in rickshaw use frequency during the pandemic, indicating that rickshaws had become a comparatively more viable mode during the pandemic. Based on the findings, the study discussed the policy implications of keeping buses and rickshaws as viable, sustainable transport modes in the post-pandemic period.