The levels and correlates of paratransit use in Egypt and Lebanon before and during the outspread of COVID-19
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.6093/1970-9870/11130Keywords:
Urban transportation planning; paratransit; public transportation; Covid-19; Middle East and North Africa (MENA)Abstract
Although studies address informal public transportation or paratransit, investigating the behavior and preferences regarding this mode in the Middle East and North Africa have not been proportional to its importance. Furthermore, with the outbreak of Covid-19, the relationship between paratransit use and different behaviors and preferences had to be investigated. Thus, this study aims to find the determinants of paratransit use for commute and non-commute purposes during and after the pandemic. The data of this study (N=3285) is based on a survey conducted in Lebanon and Egypt from 2021 till 2023. The study aimed to answer three questions: how the correlates of choosing paratransit for non-commute travels in Egypt and Lebanon changed during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to before it, how the correlates of choosing paratransit for commute travel in Egypt and Lebanon changed during the pandemic compared to before, and was paratransit use in the four cities of Cairo, Alexandria, Beirut, and Jounieh different before and during COVID-19. The results of Binary Logistic modeling and Chi-square test of independence indicates a significant difference in the level of using paratransit throughout the four cities. Moving forward, these results can regulate and guide policymaking of paratransit use in the MENA region.
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
-Abdelrahman Soliman, N. (2020). Mobilized Along the Margins: Survival Strategies of Tuktuk Drivers in Egypt. In: Weipert-Fenner, I., Wolff, J. (eds) Socioeconomic Protests in MENA and Latin America. Middle East Today. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19621-9_9
-Abdullah, M., Dias, C., Muley, D., & Shahin, M. (2020). Exploring the impacts of COVID-19 on travel behavior and mode preferences. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2020.100255
-Abou Hassan, F. F., Bou Hamdan, M., Ali, F., & Melhem, N. M. (2023). Response to COVID-19 in Lebanon: update, challenges and lessons learned. Epidemiology and infection, 151, e23. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268823000067
-Abu-Eisheh, S., Attari, A., Hegazy, M., Schiffer, R., Semmaan, R., & Zureiqat, H. (2020), The Mobility Transition in the MENA Region: Comparative Policy Perspectives, Friedrich -Ebert- Stidtung, Jordon & Iraq, retrieved from https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/amman/16656.pdf
-Assaf,C. (2022). A brief Introduction to the informal Transport system in Beirut, Article. Retrieved from: https://www.salamwakalam.com/articles/625/a-brief-introduction-to-the-informal-transport-sys/en
-Assaf, C. (2023). Reinstituting Sectarianism Through Everyday Forms of Resistance: The Case of the Informal Transportation System in Beirut. Urban Politics in the Middle East (Vol. 49, pp. 23–30). POMEPS Studies.
-Aydin, N., Kuşakcı, A. O., & Deveci, M. (2022). The impacts of COVID-19 on travel behavior and initial perception of public transport measures in Istanbul. Decision Analytics Journal, 2, 100029. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dajour.2022.100029
-Barbieri DM, Lou B, Passavanti M, Hui C, Hoff I, Lessa DA, et al. (2021) Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mobility in ten countries and associated perceived risk for all transport modes. PLoS ONE16(2): e0245886. https://doi.org/ 10.1371/journal.pone.0245886
-CAPMAS. (2023, 09 20). https://www.capmas.gov.eg/. Retrieved from https://www.capmas.gov.eg/: https://www.capmas.gov.eg/
-Cervero, R. (2000), Informal Transport in the Developing World, United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habibtat), Nairobi. Retreived from https://unhabitat.org/informal-transport-in-the-developing-world
-Cervero, R. & Golub, Aaron. (2011). Informal public transport: A global perspective. Urban Transport in the Developing World: A Handbook of Policy and Practice. 488-518.
Chalak, A., Al-Naghi, H., Irani, A., & Abou-Zeid, M. (2016). Commuters’ behavior towards upgraded bus services in Greater Beirut: Implications for greenhouse gas emissions, social welfare and transport policy. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 88, 265–285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2016.04.001
-Chen, C., Feng, T., Gu, X., & Yao, B. (2022). Investigating the effectiveness of COVID-19 pandemic countermeasures on the use of public transport: A case study of The Netherlands. Transport Policy, 117, 98–107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2022.01.005
-Chen, X., Guo, Y., Yang, C., Ding, F., & Yuan, Q. (2021). Exploring essential travel during COVID-19 quarantine: Evidence from China. Transport Policy, 111, 90–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.07.016
-De Vos, J. (2020). The effect of COVID-19 and subsequent social distancing on travel behavior. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2020.100121
-Eisenmann, C., Nobis, C., Kolarova, V., Lenz, B., & Winkler, C. (2021). Transport mode use during the COVID-19 lockdown period in Germany: The car became more important, public transport lost ground. Transport Policy, 103, 60–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.01.012
-El-Moussawi, H. (2016). Claiming the right to the city through informal practices? The case of informal public transport in Beirut, International Conference: From Contested _Cities to global Urban Justice, Madrid, Stream 1, Article no1-007 WPCC-161007-ElMoussawi-ClaimingTheRightToTheCityThroughInformalPractices.pdf
-Ferro, P.S. (2015) PARATRANSIT: A KEY ELEMENT IN A DUAL SYSTEM, CODATU association, Agency Française de Development(AFD).https://www.mobiliseyourcity.net/sites/default/files/2019-12/transports_collec_artisanal_V03ecran_EN1.pdf
-Galal S. (2023) Statista: Number of public transport passengers in Egypt 2015/2016-2019/2020. Retrieved from: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1384940/number-of-public-transport-passengers-in-egypt/#:~:text=Premium%20statistics-,Number%20of%20public%20transport%20passengers,2015%2F2016%2D2019%2F2020&text=As%20of%202019%2F2020%2C%20public,billion%20individuals%20used%20public%20transport
-Hatoum A. & Barraj F. (2023) Investigating the changes in travel behaviour during an economic crisis in a developing country: A case study of the Greater Beirut Area, Lebanon, Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives 22 (2023) 100957
-Hegazy, M. (2022). Egypt transport policies 2014-2021. Arab Reform Initiative. All Rights Reserved.
Masoumi, H. E. (2019). A discrete choice analysis of transport mode choice causality and perceived barriers of sustainable mobility in the MENA region. Transport Policy, 79, 37–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2019.04.005
-Möllers, A., Specht, S., & Wessel, J. (2022). The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and government intervention on active mobility. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 165, 356–375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2022.09.007
-Molloy, J., Schatzmann, T., Schoeman, B., Tchervenkov, C., Hintermann, B., & Axhausen, K. W. (2021). Observed impacts of the Covid-19 first wave on travel behaviour in Switzerland based on a large GPS panel. Transport Policy, 104, 43–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.01.009
-Paul, T., Chakraborty, R., & Anwari, N. (2022). Impact of COVID-19 on daily travel behaviour: a literature review. Transportation Safety and Environment, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.1093/tse/tdac013
-Paratransit. (2024) Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Rereived from https://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/paratransit
-Samaha, P., & Mohtar, A. (2020). Decoding an urban myth: An inquiry into the Van line 4 system in Beirut, Lebanon. Journal of Transport Geography, 85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2020.102743
-Shaheen, S., Cohen, A., & Broader, J. (2023). Shared Mobility in Low- and High-Income Regions. UC Berkeley: Transportation Sustainability Research Center. Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8kt9q81w
-Shaker M., Ingy El-Baramelgy I., Aboubakr D. (2022). Investigating Informal Paratransit Stops Formation in Existing Urbanism: A Case Study in Greater Cairo, Egypt. Civil Engineering and Architecture, 10(3), 1174-1190. DOI: 10.13189/cea.2022.100333.
-Sevi, B., & Shook, N. J. (2022). The behavioral immune system and use of transportation services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Transport and Health, 26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2022.101406
-The World Bank Group, (2021). Lebanon Economic Monitor, Spring 2021: Lebanon Sinking (to the Top 3), (2021, May 31). Retrived from :https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/lebanon/publication/lebanon-economic-monitor-spring-2021-lebanon-sinking-to-the-top-3 (Accessed: 20 April 2023).
-Thombre A. & Agarwal A. (2021). A paradigm shift in urban mobility: Policy insights from travel before and after COVID-19 to seize the opportunity, Transport Policy 110 (2021) 335–353.
-UN-ESCWA, (2020). Welfare State. Retrieved from : https://archive.unescwa.org/welfare-state
-UN-Habitat Lebanon (2021), Beirut City Profile 2021, Beirut: UN-Habitat Lebanon. Retrieved from: https://unhabitat.org/sites/default/files/2021/07/2021.07.19.pdf
-Who, (2020). Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), Situation Report - 190. Technical Report. World Health Organization. Retrieved from: nCoVsitrep31Jan2020-eng.pdf (who.int)
-Wilbur, M., Ayman, A., Sivagnanam, A., Ouyang, A., Poon, V., Kabir, R., Vadali, A., Pugliese, P., Freudberg, D., Laszka, A., & Dubey, A. (2023). Impact of COVID-19 on Public Transit Accessibility and Ridership. In Transportation Research Record (Vol. 2677, Issue 4, pp. 531–546). SAGE Publications Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981231160531
-Abdullah, M., Dias, C., Muley, D., & Shahin, M. (2020). Exploring the impacts of COVID-19 on travel behavior and mode preferences. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2020.100255
-Abou Hassan, F. F., Bou Hamdan, M., Ali, F., & Melhem, N. M. (2023). Response to COVID-19 in Lebanon: update, challenges and lessons learned. Epidemiology and infection, 151, e23. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268823000067
-Abu-Eisheh, S., Attari, A., Hegazy, M., Schiffer, R., Semmaan, R., & Zureiqat, H. (2020), The Mobility Transition in the MENA Region: Comparative Policy Perspectives, Friedrich -Ebert- Stidtung, Jordon & Iraq, retrieved from https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/amman/16656.pdf
-Assaf,C. (2022). A brief Introduction to the informal Transport system in Beirut, Article. Retrieved from: https://www.salamwakalam.com/articles/625/a-brief-introduction-to-the-informal-transport-sys/en
-Assaf, C. (2023). Reinstituting Sectarianism Through Everyday Forms of Resistance: The Case of the Informal Transportation System in Beirut. Urban Politics in the Middle East (Vol. 49, pp. 23–30). POMEPS Studies.
-Aydin, N., Kuşakcı, A. O., & Deveci, M. (2022). The impacts of COVID-19 on travel behavior and initial perception of public transport measures in Istanbul. Decision Analytics Journal, 2, 100029. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dajour.2022.100029
-Barbieri DM, Lou B, Passavanti M, Hui C, Hoff I, Lessa DA, et al. (2021) Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mobility in ten countries and associated perceived risk for all transport modes. PLoS ONE16(2): e0245886. https://doi.org/ 10.1371/journal.pone.0245886
-CAPMAS. (2023, 09 20). https://www.capmas.gov.eg/. Retrieved from https://www.capmas.gov.eg/: https://www.capmas.gov.eg/
-Cervero, R. (2000), Informal Transport in the Developing World, United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habibtat), Nairobi. Retreived from https://unhabitat.org/informal-transport-in-the-developing-world
-Cervero, R. & Golub, Aaron. (2011). Informal public transport: A global perspective. Urban Transport in the Developing World: A Handbook of Policy and Practice. 488-518.
Chalak, A., Al-Naghi, H., Irani, A., & Abou-Zeid, M. (2016). Commuters’ behavior towards upgraded bus services in Greater Beirut: Implications for greenhouse gas emissions, social welfare and transport policy. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 88, 265–285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2016.04.001
-Chen, C., Feng, T., Gu, X., & Yao, B. (2022). Investigating the effectiveness of COVID-19 pandemic countermeasures on the use of public transport: A case study of The Netherlands. Transport Policy, 117, 98–107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2022.01.005
-Chen, X., Guo, Y., Yang, C., Ding, F., & Yuan, Q. (2021). Exploring essential travel during COVID-19 quarantine: Evidence from China. Transport Policy, 111, 90–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.07.016
-De Vos, J. (2020). The effect of COVID-19 and subsequent social distancing on travel behavior. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2020.100121
-Eisenmann, C., Nobis, C., Kolarova, V., Lenz, B., & Winkler, C. (2021). Transport mode use during the COVID-19 lockdown period in Germany: The car became more important, public transport lost ground. Transport Policy, 103, 60–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.01.012
-El-Moussawi, H. (2016). Claiming the right to the city through informal practices? The case of informal public transport in Beirut, International Conference: From Contested _Cities to global Urban Justice, Madrid, Stream 1, Article no1-007 WPCC-161007-ElMoussawi-ClaimingTheRightToTheCityThroughInformalPractices.pdf
-Ferro, P.S. (2015) PARATRANSIT: A KEY ELEMENT IN A DUAL SYSTEM, CODATU association, Agency Française de Development(AFD).https://www.mobiliseyourcity.net/sites/default/files/2019-12/transports_collec_artisanal_V03ecran_EN1.pdf
-Galal S. (2023) Statista: Number of public transport passengers in Egypt 2015/2016-2019/2020. Retrieved from: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1384940/number-of-public-transport-passengers-in-egypt/#:~:text=Premium%20statistics-,Number%20of%20public%20transport%20passengers,2015%2F2016%2D2019%2F2020&text=As%20of%202019%2F2020%2C%20public,billion%20individuals%20used%20public%20transport
-Hatoum A. & Barraj F. (2023) Investigating the changes in travel behaviour during an economic crisis in a developing country: A case study of the Greater Beirut Area, Lebanon, Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives 22 (2023) 100957
-Hegazy, M. (2022). Egypt transport policies 2014-2021. Arab Reform Initiative. All Rights Reserved.
Masoumi, H. E. (2019). A discrete choice analysis of transport mode choice causality and perceived barriers of sustainable mobility in the MENA region. Transport Policy, 79, 37–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2019.04.005
-Möllers, A., Specht, S., & Wessel, J. (2022). The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and government intervention on active mobility. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 165, 356–375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2022.09.007
-Molloy, J., Schatzmann, T., Schoeman, B., Tchervenkov, C., Hintermann, B., & Axhausen, K. W. (2021). Observed impacts of the Covid-19 first wave on travel behaviour in Switzerland based on a large GPS panel. Transport Policy, 104, 43–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.01.009
-Paul, T., Chakraborty, R., & Anwari, N. (2022). Impact of COVID-19 on daily travel behaviour: a literature review. Transportation Safety and Environment, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.1093/tse/tdac013
-Paratransit. (2024) Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Rereived from https://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/paratransit
-Samaha, P., & Mohtar, A. (2020). Decoding an urban myth: An inquiry into the Van line 4 system in Beirut, Lebanon. Journal of Transport Geography, 85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2020.102743
-Shaheen, S., Cohen, A., & Broader, J. (2023). Shared Mobility in Low- and High-Income Regions. UC Berkeley: Transportation Sustainability Research Center. Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8kt9q81w
-Shaker M., Ingy El-Baramelgy I., Aboubakr D. (2022). Investigating Informal Paratransit Stops Formation in Existing Urbanism: A Case Study in Greater Cairo, Egypt. Civil Engineering and Architecture, 10(3), 1174-1190. DOI: 10.13189/cea.2022.100333.
-Sevi, B., & Shook, N. J. (2022). The behavioral immune system and use of transportation services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Transport and Health, 26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2022.101406
-The World Bank Group, (2021). Lebanon Economic Monitor, Spring 2021: Lebanon Sinking (to the Top 3), (2021, May 31). Retrived from :https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/lebanon/publication/lebanon-economic-monitor-spring-2021-lebanon-sinking-to-the-top-3 (Accessed: 20 April 2023).
-Thombre A. & Agarwal A. (2021). A paradigm shift in urban mobility: Policy insights from travel before and after COVID-19 to seize the opportunity, Transport Policy 110 (2021) 335–353.
-UN-ESCWA, (2020). Welfare State. Retrieved from : https://archive.unescwa.org/welfare-state
-UN-Habitat Lebanon (2021), Beirut City Profile 2021, Beirut: UN-Habitat Lebanon. Retrieved from: https://unhabitat.org/sites/default/files/2021/07/2021.07.19.pdf
-Who, (2020). Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), Situation Report - 190. Technical Report. World Health Organization. Retrieved from: nCoVsitrep31Jan2020-eng.pdf (who.int)
-Wilbur, M., Ayman, A., Sivagnanam, A., Ouyang, A., Poon, V., Kabir, R., Vadali, A., Pugliese, P., Freudberg, D., Laszka, A., & Dubey, A. (2023). Impact of COVID-19 on Public Transit Accessibility and Ridership. In Transportation Research Record (Vol. 2677, Issue 4, pp. 531–546). SAGE Publications Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981231160531
Downloads
Published
31-12-2025
How to Cite
Dief-Allah, D. M. A., Dawoud, S. A., Khalifa, B., & Masoumi, H. (2025). The levels and correlates of paratransit use in Egypt and Lebanon before and during the outspread of COVID-19. TeMA - Journal of Land Use, Mobility and Environment, 18(3), 533–549. https://doi.org/10.6093/1970-9870/11130
Issue
Section
LUME (Land Use, Mobility and Environment)
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Dina Maarouf Ahmed Dief-Allah, Sofia Ayad Dawoud, Basma Khalifa, Houshmand Masoumi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
