Behavioural and attitudinal responses to pandemic: a study focusing on young adults with transport disadvantages in low-density built environment

Background Studies of young adults’ travel behavioural adaptation during Covid-19 are scarce. This study aimed to enhance the understanding of how young adults with transport disadvantages in Canberra, Australia adapted their travel both during and after Covid-19 restrictions. Method Two quantitative datasets (Daily Public Transport Passenger Boardings by Passenger Type and by Service Type) were used to understand the overall trend in ridership from March 2020 to December 2021. In-depth qualitative interviews of 20 participants were conducted to further understand behavioural responses and challenges. Participants were recruited from both inner and distant suburbs of the city, specifically regions where car journeys represent a high proportion of journey types. Persons without access to cars were actively recruited for this study. The six-step thematic analysis approach was applied to analyse the interview data. Results Quantitative data shows a 25% reduction in usage compared to its pre-pandemic peak in 2019; with a 5% reduction persisting even in August 2023. Bus usage showed a similar pattern (16.1% reduction during lockdowns and 8.6% lower usage in February 2024 compared to pre-pandemic peaks in 2019). From interview data, we identified five themes: 1) challenges of working/studying online, 2) inconvenient public transport service, specifically its unreliability, 3) fear of contracting the virus, 4) the car as a provider of independent mobility and 5) mental health issues due to isolation. Four types of remoding were suggested to discuss policy interventions: Type 1 (private motorised), Type 2 (shifted from public transport to private motorised), Type 3(public transport), and Type 4 (active transport). Conclusion This study fills the gap in literature by identifying travel behaviour adaptation of young adults during and after pandemic disruptions. Enhancing public transport service and reliability is most effective for remoding Types 2 and 3, whilst investing in transport infrastructure is critical for Type 4.