Investigating the changes in travel behaviour during an economic crisis in a developing country: A case study of the Greater Beirut Area, Lebanon

Abstract

Lebanon is currently facing one of the worst economic crises in its history, which has been compounded by the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and the devastating explosion at the Port of Beirut in August 2020. This research focuses on the Greater Beirut area in Lebanon, aiming to examine the impact of the ongoing economic crisis on travel behavior. The study analyzes changes in travel behavior before and during the crisis for various trip purposes, including the number of trips and modes of transportation used. Socio-economic factors that may have influenced these changes are also considered. Descriptive analyses and multivariate statistics reveal that the economic crisis had a significant influence on people’s travel behavior. Multinomial logistic regression models highlight the impact of factors such as age, nationality, occupation, household size, income, and spending fluctuations on trip frequency changes during the crisis. The analysis of the data indicates a decrease in all trip types during the crisis, partly due to the adoption of online study and work, resulting in fewer commuting trips. Private car usage declined for shopping trips, while motorcycles and public transport witnessed an increase. Recreational trips reduced significantly, with more respondents opting for fewer trips per year, showing a noticeable preference for buses. Despite the shift away from private cars, the adoption of public transport remains modest, partly due to limited accessibility, safety concerns, and unreliable services.