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

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.