Date

2021-7

Author

Shahin, Hind

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COVID-19 was labeled a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by WHO on the 30th of January 2020. Countries enacted measures to curb the spread of the virus, many of which resulted in limiting peoples’ mobility; mass transportation systems worldwide took the hardest hit. Thus, research emerged on the impact of COVID-19 on mass transit systems worldwide. This thesis analyzes COVID-19’s effect on Ankara’s mass transit through detailing the measures taken by the city and the effects those decisions had on its network. Similar to other research, the thesis analyses the objective effects the pandemic had on mass transit. It also focuses on the subjective effects of COVID-19 on the system - an under researched topic- through investigating residents’ risk and efficacy perceptions of mass transit during the pandemic. Applying Protection Motivation Theory, a prominent health risk behavioral model, literature review and an online survey were conducted to investigate the effects of COVID-19 on perceptions of mass transit in Ankara. Findings support the hypothesis that COVID-19 had an effect on mass transportation in Ankara in terms of objective metrics such as ridership levels, commute time, commute distance, waiting time, and number of transfers needed; peak hours was the only metric experiencing no change as a result of the pandemic. In terms of the subjective effects of COVID-19 on mass transit in Ankara, participants mostly reported close to neutral efficacy and risk perceptions. Finally, limitations include sample size and time period covered; Findings are true only if corroborated through further research.

Subject Keywords

Covid-19, Protection Motivation Theory, Passenger Mobility Behavior, Public Transport Perceptions, Public Transport Journeys

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/91674

Collections

Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis