Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 on Tartu Smart Bike Usage
Name
Karl Gustav Loog
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on our everyday life and one of the most visible effects was on the transportation sector. In Tartu, the fairly new bike-sharing system (BSS) Smart Bike provided an alternative mode of transportation during lockdowns and social distancing measures. However, little research has been done on how the pandemic affected the usage of these bikes. This thesis aims to fill that gap by analysing the public data of Tartu’s BSS mainly during the 2020-2022 period to determine if and how the pandemic affected its usage patterns. The findings reveal changes in the nature of bike trips during lockdown periods characterised by longer trip durations, both in distance and time and lower distance coverage speeds, indicating that people used the bikes more for leisure and exercise. The study also highlights the potential of BSS data for developing more sustainable and effective infrastructure and transportation systems.
Graduation Thesis language
English
Graduation Thesis type
Bachelor - Computer Science
Supervisor(s)
Mozhgan Pourmoradnasseri
Defence year
2023