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Impact of COVID-19 Measures on Mobility in Bangkok, Thailand
Ampan Laosunthara*1, Kumpol Saengtabtim*2, Piyaporn Sochoeiya*2, Natt Leelawat*1,*2,, Jing Tang*1,*3, Akira Kodaka*4, Yasushi Onda*4, and Naohiko Kohtake*4
*1Disaster and Risk Management Information Systems Research Unit, Chulalongkorn University
Phayathai Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Corresponding author
*2Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
*3International School of Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
*4Graduate School of System Design and Management, Keio University, Yokohama, Japan
Transportation is considered to be one of the main activities of daily life. The COVID-19 pandemic, which had its origin at the end of 2019, restricted the movement of the people due to its deadly impacts. Most governments also had a hand in limiting the mobility of the people through various measures and policies. Thailand was one of the first countries impacted by COVID-19, and transportation in Bangkok, the capital city, was greatly affected by both government measures and the COVID-19 disease. In this study, the number of passengers using the various modes of public transportation in Bangkok and the daily number of COVID-19 cases there are analyzed, and a correlation is found. In addition, the measures taken against COVID-19 are summarized to identify any impacts on Bangkok’s mobility and transportation. The mobility and transportation data include the passengers of the four modes of transportation: air, water, road, and rail. The findings show a moderate yet significant correlation between the number of passengers and the daily number of COVID-19 cases. This correlation was also amplified by the announcements and policies of the government.
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