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[209] Changes in Community Bus Usage and Living Environment During the COVID-19 Pandemic

A case study of the Tamachan-Bus in Tamagawa-Gakuen area, Machida, Tokyo, Japan

○Chisato Ota¹, Namiko Minai¹ (1. Japan Women's University)

Keywords:Community Bus, COVID-19, Living environment, User awareness, Elderly people, Tamagawa-Gakuen area

Community-buses serve the purpose of ensuring regional transportation. The decrease in users of public transportation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is a serious issue for the future living environment of this community. In this study, we conducted a survey to suburban residents in Machida city, Tokyo, which is home to a large number of people with mobility difficulties, and considered the relationship between the local environment and the actual use of community buses. Residents consider community buses as an essential local public transportation service for the community and many elderly people use them. Daily use of the buses continued during the state of disaster caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.