The Post-Pandemic Shift: An Economic Analysis of User Preferences and Willingness-to-Pay for Public Transport Safety and Hygiene Measures in Uzbekistan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54097/2t8veb46Keywords:
Public transport, willingness-to-pay, safety measures, hygiene, UzbekistanAbstract
This paper investigates post-pandemic changes in public transport user preferences and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for safety and hygiene measures in Uzbekistan. The study responds to the COVID-19 pandemic, which changed passenger perceptions of health risk and weakened confidence in shared mobility systems. Using survey evidence from Tashkent and Samarkand, the paper examines how commuters value regular sanitization, improved ventilation, hand sanitizer availability, mask enforcement, and crowd management. The results show that passengers now place safety and hygiene among the central attributes of public transport service quality. Mean WTP for improved safety and hygiene is positive but moderate, with ventilation and sanitization receiving the highest valuations. Regression results indicate that income, education, perceived health risk, travel frequency, and age significantly influence WTP. The findings suggest that safety improvements can support passenger confidence, but fare-based financing must be balanced with affordability and equity concerns.
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