Abstract The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic will linger for an extended period, although it is under control and public transport is gradually resuming its operations. However, there is limited understanding of passengers' construal regarding this public health crisis and their perceptions of safety and feelings of satisfaction toward public transport after suffering through the spread of such an infectious disease. Therefore, the aim of this research is to understand passengers' psychological responses to the pandemic over time in terms of their emotional arousal and mental construal, as public transport begins to resume its operations with the pandemic almost entirely contained. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in eight cities of China where the public transport system had been temporally closed because of the pandemic. The results indicated that (1) passengers' feelings of safety enhanced their overall satisfaction with regard to public transport, (2) state anxiety has a negative effect on perceived safety, (3) state anxiety increases as passengers are psychologically closer to the pandemic, and (4) passengers pay more attention to information that is psychologically closer to the pandemic and perceive lesser safety on public transport. These findings not only reveal the internal mechanisms behind how passengers perceive safety but may also provide significant information for future disaster emergency management. Based on the results, some feasible suggestions are proposed to avoid the loss of ridership and help public transport systems recover from the crisis.

    Highlights Passengers' feelings of safety enhanced their overall satisfaction with regard to public transport. State anxious passengers perceive less safety on public transport. State anxiety increases as passengers are psychologically closer to the pandemic. Passengers who paid more attention to pandemic information perceived less safety on public transport.


    Access

    Check access

    Check availability in my library

    Order at Subito €


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Understanding public transport satisfaction in post COVID-19 pandemic


    Contributors:
    Dong, Hongming (author) / Ma, Shoufeng (author) / Jia, Ning (author) / Tian, Junfang (author)

    Published in:

    Transport Policy ; 101 ; 81-88


    Publication date :

    2020-12-05


    Size :

    8 pages




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English





    Transport mode preferences of university students in post-COVID-19 pandemic

    Bagdatli, Muhammed Emin Cihangir / Ipek, Fatima | Elsevier | 2022


    Customer Requirements for Public Mass Transport During the COVID-19 Pandemic

    Kicová Eva / Poniščiaková Oľga / Gorzelanczyk Piotr | DOAJ | 2023

    Free access

    Draft of Public Rail Passenger Transport During the COVID-19 Pandemic

    Černá Lenka / Pribula Daniel / Bulková Zdenka et al. | DOAJ | 2023

    Free access

    Understanding public transport satisfaction: Using Maslow's hierarchy of (transit) needs

    Allen, Jaime / Muñoz, Juan Carlos / Ortúzar, Juan de Dios | Elsevier | 2019