Exploring activity-travel behavior changes during the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia

• Main Authors: Irawan, Muhammad Zudhy, Belgiawan, Prawira Fajarindra, Joewono, Tri Basuki, Bastarianto, Faza Fawzan, Rizki, Muhamad, Ilahi, Anugrah
• Format: Article PeerReviewed
• Language: English
• Published: Springer Nature 2021
• Subjects: Civil Engineering; Engineering
• Online Access: https://repository.ugm.ac.id/279166/1/Irawan_TK.pdf; https://repository.ugm.ac.id/279166/; https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11116-021-10185-5; https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-021-10185-5
• Institution: Universitas Gadjah Mada

This study examines the change in activities and associated travel during the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. This study is particularly interested in analyzing the role of attitudes, descriptive norms, protective behaviors toward COVID-19, travel frequency before the pandemic, and spatial and individual characteristics on activity-travel behavior changes in relation to information and communication technology (ICT) use. Data were obtained from 1062 respondents using a web-based questionnaire survey. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the complex relationships among variables. This study found that descriptive norms positively affected the frequency of travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. Teleworking and e-learning and attitudes toward COVID-19 directly affected activity-travel behavior changes. On the contrary, teleshopping did not contribute to reducing out-of-home activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Experience of ICT influenced a decline in travel frequency and ride-hailing use. Furthermore, although personal attributes insignificantly influenced activity-travel behavior change, these attributes directly affected ICT use. Meanwhile, people living outside of Java Island had a higher travel frequency during the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic than their counterparts. Based on our findings, this study recommends that the very initial step in an emergency caused by a disaster be to massively socialize or educate people about the risk of the pandemic and to continue with a policy to minimize travel by encouraging teleworking and e-learning. Empowering ICT to support activities from home will beneficially minimize the spread of the pandemic.