Abstract
The COVID-19 has forced people to rethink the interrelationships between public health, urban environment and transportation. Past studies have attempted to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 on individuals’ mobility. Nevertheless, relevant strategies for the urban adaptation and resilience strategies to cope up with the post pandemic situation have not been explored yet in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, especially in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Therefore, this study examines the changes in the urban mobility—trip frequencies by mode and purpose during the different severity periods of COVID-19 in the UAE. To draw strategies for the post pandemic transport management, the study tries to quantify the effects of participants’ personal and perceived features on the change in mobility behavior as the severity of the COVID-19 changes. To achieve this objective, data are gathered through a comprehensive web-based questionnaire, yielding 1,964 responses. The data are analyzed via descriptive analyses and random parameter bivariate probit model. The results indicate a shift in the individuals’ mobility behavior during the three COVID-19 periods (before the peak, during the peak, and after the peak). More importantly, the individuals’ mobility reduced substantially during the during the peak period and recovered back to normal after the during the peak. Moreover, there exists a significant relationship between the respondents’ personal and perceived features and the change in mobility as the COVID-19 severity changes from before the peak to during the peak and from during the peak to after the peak. This study underscores the crucial role of integrating public health insights with urban and transportation planning to enhance the resilience and adaptability of cities in the face of future pandemic.
References
Abdullah M, Ali N, Hussain SA, Aslam AB, Javid MA (2021) Measuring changes in travel behavior pattern due to COVID-19 in a develo** country: A case study of Pakistan. Transport Policy 108:21–33, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.04.023
Abdullah M, Dias C, Muley D, Shahin M (2020) Exploring the impacts of COVID-19 on travel behavior and mode preferences. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives 8:100255. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2020.100255
Alhmoudi M, Abuzwidah M, Hamad K (2017) Road users’ opinion about pedestrian safety in the emirate of Sharjah, UAE-survey results. MATEC Web of Conferences 120:1–15, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201712007006
Almatrooshi H (2022) A new technology-based tele-emergency framework for emergency healthcare provision in the united arab emirates. University of Gloucestershire
Almuraqab NAS, Miniaoui S, Jasimuddin S (2024) People’s Perceptions of the Benefits, Risks, and Acceptance of Services Delivered by Drones in the United Arab Emirates, 589–599
Anke J, Francke A, Schaefer LM, Petzoldt T (2021) Impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the mobility behaviour in Germany. European Transport Research Review 13(1), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12544-021-00469-3
Awad-Núñez S, Julio R, Moya-Gómez B, Gomez J, Sastre González J (2021) Acceptability of sustainable mobility policies under a post-COVID-19 scenario. Evidence from Spain. Transport Policy 106: 205–214. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.04.010
Baig F, Kirytopoulos K, Lee J, Tsamilis E, Mao R, Ntzeremes P (2022) Changes in people’s mobility behavior in greece after the COVID-19 outbreak. Sustainability 14(6):3567, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su14063567
Barbieri DM, Lou B, Passavanti M, Hui C, Hoff I, Lessa DA, Sikka G, Chang K, Gupta A, Fang K, Banerjee A, Maharaj B, Lam L, Ghasemi N, Naik B, Wang F, Foroutan MA, Naseri S, Liu Z, Qiao Y, Tucker A, Wijayaratna K, Peprah P, Adomako S, Yu L, Goswami S, Chen H, Shu B, Hessami A, Abbas M, Agarwal N, Rashidi TH (2021) Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mobility in ten countries and associated perceived risk for all transport modes (A. H. Pakpour, Ed.): PLOS ONE 16(2):e0245886, DOI: 101371/journal.pone.0245886
Bardot S (2013) Background on work life in the united arab emirates and other gulf countries (Gulf Cooperation Council). Compensation & Benefits Review 45(1):21–25, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0886368713485040
Basu R, Ferreira J (2021) Sustainable mobility in auto-dominated Metro Boston: Challenges and opportunities post-COVID-19. Transport Policy 103:197–210, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.01.006
Beck MJ, Hensher DA (2021a) Australia 6 months after COVID-19 restrictions-part 1: Changes to travel activity and attitude to measures. Transport Policy 128:286–298, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.06.006
Beck MJ, Hensher DA (2021b) Australia 6 months after COVID-19 restrictions part 2: The impact of working from home. Transport Policy 128:274–285, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.06.005
Bian Z, Zuo F, Gao J, Chen Y, Pavuluri Venkata SSC, Duran Bernardes S, Ozbay K, Ban X (Jeff), Wang J (2021) Time lag effects of COVID-19 policies on transportation systems: A comparative study of New York City and Seattle. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice 145:269–283, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2021.01.019
Bohman H, Ryan J, Stjernborg V, Nilsson D (2021) A study of changes in everyday mobility during the Covid-19 pandemic: As perceived by people living in Malmö, Sweden. Transport Policy 106:109–119, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.03.013
Budd L, Ison S (2020) Responsible transport: A post-COVID agenda for transport policy and practice. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives 6:100151, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2020.100151
Caballini C, Agostino M, Dalla Chiara B (2021) Physical mobility and virtual communication in Italy: Trends, analytical relationships and policies for the post COVID-19. Transport Policy 110:314–334, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.06.007
Chan HY, Chen A, Ma W, Sze NN, Liu X (2021) COVID-19, community response, public policy, and travel patterns: A tale of Hong Kong. Transport Policy 106:173–184, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.04.002
Chan HF, Skali A, Savage DA, Stadelmann D, Torgler B (2020) Risk attitudes and human mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic. Scientific Reports 10(1):1–13, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-76763-2
Cui Q, He L, Liu Y, Zheng Y, Wei W, Yang B, Zhou M (2021) Measuring the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on China’s transport sectors based on the CGE model coupled with a decomposition analysis approach. Transport Policy 103:103–115, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.01.017
Dingil AE, Esztergár-Kiss D (2021) The influence of the Covid-19 pandemic on mobility patterns: The first wave’s results. Transportation Letters 13(5–6):434–446, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/19427867.2021.1901011
Dong H, Ma S, Jia N, Tian J (2021) Understanding public transport satisfaction in post COVID-19 pandemic. Transport Policy 101:81–88. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2020.12.004
Elbaz Y, Naeem M, Abuzwidah M, Barakat S (2020) Effect of Drowsiness on Driver Performance and Traffic Safety. 2020 Advances in Science and Engineering Technology International Conferences (ASET), IEEE, 1–6
Greene WH (2012) NLOGIT Version 5: Reference Guide. Econometric Software Inc.
de Haas M, Faber R, Hamersma M (2020) How COVID-19 and the Dutch ‘intelligent lockdown’ change activities, work and travel behaviour: Evidence from longitudinal data in the Netherlands. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives 6:100150, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2020.100150
Ku DG, Um JS, Byon YJ, Kim JY, Lee SJ (2021) Changes in Passengers’ travel behavior due to COVID-19. Sustainability 13(14):7974, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su13147974
Lee J, Baig F, Pervez A (2021) Impacts of COVID-19 on individuals’ mobility behavior in Pakistan based on self-reported responses. Journal of Transport & Health 22:101228, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2021.101228
Lee S, Park S, Yang S, Park J, Lee J (2022) Contributing factors to the change in travel mode choice after COVID-19 in Korea using bivariate probit model. International Journal of Sustainable Building Technology and Urban Development 13(2):184–197, DOI: https://doi.org/10.22712/susb.20220016
Li Y, Gu R, Lee J, Yang M, Chen Q, Zhang Y (2021) The dynamic tradeoff between safety and efficiency in discretionary lane-changing behavior: A random parameters logit approach with heterogeneity in means and variances. Accident Analysis and Prevention 153:106036, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2021.106036
Liu H, Lee J (2023) Contributing factors to the changes in public and private transportation mode choice after the COVID-19 outbreak in urban areas of China. Sustainability 15(6):5048, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065048
Loa P, Hossain S, Mashrur SM, Liu Y, Wang K, Ong F, Habib KN (2021) Exploring the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on modality profiles for non-mandatory trips in the Greater Toronto Area. Transport Policy 110:71–85, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.05.028
Luan S, Yang Q, Jiang Z, Wang W (2021) Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on individual’s travel mode choice in China. Transport Policy 106:271–280, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.04.011
Megatsari H, Laksono AD, Ibad M, Herwanto YT, Sarweni KP, Geno RAP, Nugraheni E (2020) The community psychosocial burden during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. Heliyon 6(10):e05136, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05136
Molloy J, Schatzmann T, Schoeman B, Tchervenkov C, Hintermann B, Axhausen KW (2021) Observed impacts of the Covid-19 first wave on travel behaviour in Switzerland based on a large GPS panel. Transport Policy 104:43–51, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.01.009
Najah A, Abuzwidah M, Khalil D (2020) The impact of the rear seat belt use on traffic safety in the UAE. 2020 Advances in Science and Engineering Technology International Conferences (ASET), IEEE, 1–6
Nayak S, Pandit D (2021) Potential of telecommuting for different employees in the Indian context beyond COVID-19 lockdown. Transport Policy 111, 98–110. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.07.010
Pan Y, Darzi A, Kabiri A, Zhao G, Luo W, **ong C, Zhang L (2020) Quantifying human mobility behaviour changes during the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States. Scientific Reports 10(1):1–9, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-77751-2
Parker MEG, Li M, Bouzaghrane MA, Obeid H, Hayes D, Frick KT, Rodríguez DA, Sengupta R, Walker J, Chatman DG (2021) Public transit use in the United States in the era of COVID-19: Transit riders’ travel behavior in the COVID-19 impact and recovery period. Transport Policy 111:53–62, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.07.005
Pinchoff J, Kraus-Perrotta C, Austrian K, Tidwell JB, Abuya T, Mwanga D, Kangwana B, Ochako R, Muluve E, Mbushi F, Nzioki M, Ngo TD (2021) Mobility patterns during COVID-19 travel restrictions in nairobi urban informal settlements: Who is leaving home and why. Journal of Urban Health 98:211–221, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-020-00507-w
Prüß BM (2021) Current state of the first COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccines 9(1):30, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9010030
Seshadri U, Kumar P, Vij A, Ndlovu T (2023) Marketing strategies for the tourism industry in the United Arab Emirates after the COVID-19 era. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes 15(2):169–177, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/WHATT-10-2022-0120
Shabib A, Khalil M, Abuzwidah M, Barakat S (2020) Public perception and willingness to pay for High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes in the united arab emirates: questionnaire-based survey. 2020 Advances in Science and Engineering Technology International Conferences (ASET), IEEE, 1–6
Shakibaei S, de Jong GC, Alpkökin P, Rashidi TH (2021) Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on travel behavior in Istanbul: A panel data analysis. Sustainable Cities and Society 65:102619, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2020.102619
Siam MHB, Hasan MM, Tashrif SM, Rahaman Khan MH, Raheem E, Hossain MS (2021) Insights into the first seven-months of COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh: Lessons learned from a high-risk country. Heliyon 7(6):e07385, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07385
The Financial Times Ltd. (2021) Coronavirus tracked: see how your country compares. ft.com/covid19
Thombre A, Agarwal A (2021) A paradigm shift in urban mobility: Policy insights from travel before and after COVID-19 to seize the opportunity. Transport Policy 110:335–353, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.06.010
El Traboulsi Y, Khalifa I, Abuzwidah M, Shanableh A, Al-Ruzouq R, Hamad K (2022) Effect of COVID-19 lockdown on traffic-related air pollution in florida, USA. 2022 Advances in Science and Engineering Technology International Conferences (ASET), IEEE, 1–6
Wanganoo L, Patil A (2020) Preparing for the smart cities: IoT enabled last-mile delivery. 2020 Advances in Science and Engineering Technology International Conferences (ASET), IEEE, 1–6
World Health Organization (2021) WHO Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Dashboard. Geneva: World Health Organization
Yuen KF, Wang X, Ma F, Li KX (2020) The psychological causes of panic buying following a health crisis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17(10):3513, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17103513
Zhang J, Hayashi Y, Frank LD (2021a) COVID-19 and transport: Findings from a world-wide expert survey. Transport Policy 103:68–85, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.01.011
Zhang N, Jia W, Wang P, Dung CH, Zhao P, Leung K, Su B, Cheng R, Li Y (2021b) Changes in local travel behaviour before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong. Cities 112:103139, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2021.103139
Zhang J, Lee J (2021) Interactive effects between travel behaviour and COVID-19: A questionnaire study. Transportation Safety and Environment 3(2):166–177, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/tse/tdab003
Zhou E, Lee J (2022) How has COVID-19 changed trip patterns by purpose in China? Transportation Safety and Environment 4(4), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/tse/tdac030
Zhou H, Wang Y, Huscroft JR, Bai K (2021) Impacts of COVID-19 and anti-pandemic policies on urban transport—an empirical study in China. Transport Policy 110:135–149, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.05.030
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Advanced Multidisciplinary Project of Central South University (2023QYJC016); National Key R&D Program of China (2020YFB1600400); the Innovation-Driven Project of Central South University (2020CX013); and University of Sharjah (1602040127-P).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Baig, F., Lee, J.J., Abuzwidah, M. et al. The COVID-19 Impacts on Mobility Behavior in a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Country. KSCE J Civ Eng (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-024-0184-7
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-024-0184-7