Exploring the impact of covid-19 on mobility in Colombo metropolitan region, Sri Lanka

Abstract

To combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sri Lankan government has initiated a variety of travel restrictions, particularly in the Colombo Metropolitan Region (CMR). With over 50% of cases and significantly different CMR mobility patterns, the CMR has evolved as the focal point of the COVID-19 outbreak in Sri Lanka. However, only a few research have been carried out to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mobility in Sri Lanka. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to investigate the influence of COVID-19 on CMR mobility at different times throughout the COVID-19 epidemic. The mobility change in Sri Lanka was examined using the Google COVID-19 Community Mobility Change data. 934 questionnaire survey samples were used to analyze the change in CMR mobility. The results indicate that whereas residential mobility in Sri Lanka increased by up to 50% following the epidemic, mobility in the workplace, transportation, parks, pharmacies, and retail decreased. According to the survey's findings, daily travel frequency has dropped by more than 50%, and people prefer their private vehicles over public transportation. Therefore, the study gives essential and practical information to transportation engineers, planners, and decision-makers to take effective actions to regulate the pandemic situations and mobility.