Behavioral Intentions of Urban Rail Transit Passengers during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Tianjin, China: A Model Integrating the Theory of Planned Behavior and Customer Satisfaction Theory

Abstract

Understanding the behavioral intentions of public transit passengers during the COVID-19 pandemic is important for transmission control interventions oriented towards public transport system travel behavior. This paper studies the relationship between passengers’ intentions to use public transport, a set of psychological variables, and the influence of transport management policies (POLs) under COVID-19. Specifically, this study presents a framework integrating the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and customer satisfaction (CS) theory and uses partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) applied to the survey responses of 983 residents of Tianjin, China. The empirical results support the validity of this integrated model of public transit use intentions by confirming several hypothesized relationships among the psychological variables studied. Moreover, POLs under COVID-19 are shown to enhance commuters’ intentions primarily via subjective norms (SNs), perceived behavioral control (PBC), perceived service quality (PSQ), and CS. These findings reveal the psychological mechanism through which passengers adjust their public transport travel intentions during the COVID-19 period. Based on the results, some feasible suggestions are proposed to help restore confidence in public transport after the pandemic.