@article{ref1,
title="Assessing the long-term impact of COVID-19 on travel behavior: the United Arab Emirates perspective",
journal="Transportation research interdisciplinary perspectives",
year="2024",
author="Hamad, Khaled and El Traboulsi, Yahya and Shanableh, Abdallah and Al-Ruzouq, Rami",
volume="23",
number="",
pages="e101008-e101008",
abstract="The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant short-term travel disruptions and profound changes in daily travel routines. Yet, the long-term impact on travel behavior and mobility remains unclear. The present study examines the enduring effects of COVID-19 on travel patterns in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) through a comprehensive survey assessing long-term impacts and participants' travel behavior changes during different stages of the pandemic. The survey covered travel modes, frequency, duration, and distance, unveiling a pandemic-driven shift towards increased personal vehicle usage due to public transportation concerns. Nevertheless, as the pandemic gradually recedes, individuals are slowly reverting to their pre-pandemic travel habits. Moreover, the results indicate that travel patterns vary depending on the distance traveled. Short-distance travel has largely returned to pre-pandemic levels, while medium-distance travel continues to lag. Intriguingly, post-pandemic levels of long-distance travel have exceeded the pre-pandemic figures, indicating a potential alteration in travel behaviors. These observed changes were substantiated by a paired t-test, demonstrating a significant difference across nearly all periods examined. In summary, this research sheds light on the long-term consequences of COVID-19 on travel behavior and mobility in the UAE. The survey data uncovers a noteworthy transformation in travel patterns during the pandemic, with subsequent gradual reversion to pre-pandemic norms. Notably, the findings suggest potential shifts in travel preferences across different distances, with long-distance travel surpassing pre-pandemic levels. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of the lasting impacts of COVID-19 on transportation and travel choices.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2590-1982",
doi="10.1016/j.trip.2023.101008",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2023.101008"
}