Assessment of COVID-19 pandemic impact on daily trips in Salah al Din Governorate in Iraq

AL-OMARI, Aslam A. · 2025 · Crossref

DOI: 10.21741/9781644903414-101

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Summary

This study evaluates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on daily travel behavior in Salah al-Din Governorate, Iraq, a region characterized by limited public transportation infrastructure. The research addresses how lockdowns and health concerns altered trip frequency, mode selection, and purpose in a developing country context. The authors highlight that such regions face unique challenges, as residents rely heavily on private vehicles and have fewer alternatives to reduce exposure to the virus. Data were collected through a survey of 14,886 randomly selected participants across the governorate’s eight districts between October 2021 and July 2022. The questionnaire gathered demographic information and detailed changes in travel routines since March 2020. The researchers employed t-tests to statistically compare pre-pandemic and pandemic-era travel behaviors, assessing factors such as gender, age, income, and employment status. The results indicate a significant reduction in overall trip demand, driven largely by the adoption of electronic alternatives. Educational trips decreased most sharply, falling from an average of four to 1.6 trips per week due to the shift to e-learning. Work trips declined from 3.7 to 1.6 per week, shopping trips from 2.95 to 1.6, and tourist trips from 1.5 to less than 0.5 per week. Mode choice shifted away from public transportation and taxis, which saw dramatic declines due to passenger anxiety over disease transmission. Instead, usage of private vehicles, walking, and bicycles increased. The study also found that trip distances and durations shortened significantly, with women reducing their travel time to under 30 minutes post-pandemic. Statistical analysis revealed that age, household size, and income significantly influenced educational and shopping trip demands, while gender and social status impacted job and tourist trips. The findings suggest that the pandemic induced a structural change in mobility patterns, with digital substitution reducing the need for physical travel. The decline in vehicle usage and trip length implies potential benefits for air quality, traffic congestion, and accident rates. The authors conclude that policymakers should consider these shifts, particularly the reduced reliance on public transit and the increased use of active travel modes, when planning for post-pandemic transportation systems in similar urban environments.

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