Exploring essential travel during COVID-19 quarantine: Evidence from China

The COVID-19 has created significant impacts on the economy and individual life around the world. Various countries and cities have adopted corresponding control measures to reduce transport activities and maintain social distance to combat the spread of COVID-19. In the circumstances, residents only maintained essential travel to ensure a normal and fundamental life. In order to explore the impacts of the epidemic and control measures on individually essential travel, we have collected 513 questionnaires between February and March 2020 in China to investigate the various characteristics of essential travel. Using a multivariate logistic regression model, we examine the major factors that potentially impact the mode choices of essential travel. Results show that various socioeconomic, transport supply, health concern and travel purpose have significantly influenced travel mode choices of essential travel. The concept of essential travel will, in the era of port-pandemic, have profound implications on transportation policy making, especially on how to improve the fundamental welfare of the disadvantaged population.