When Routines Break: Understanding the Resilience of Commuting Behaviour after a Mobility Shock

This paper explores what happens when everyday travel routines are disrupted, analysing longitudinal evidence on how commuting behaviour adapts and recovers after a mobility shock. Treating the Covid-19 pandemic as a natural experiment of large-scale behavioural disruption, the analysis of three travel-to-work modes across survey waves reveals a sharp yet temporary reconfiguration of commuting patterns: public transport use declined sharply, remote work expanded markedly, and private transport proved most stable mode. Transition matrices indicate that most behavioural shifts were short-lived, reflecting a return to pre-pandemic habits once restrictions were lifted. Interpreted through the lens of the habit discontinuity and mobility biographies frameworks, the findings suggest that while the pandemic temporarily disrupted mobility routines, it did not generate structural change. Policy implications highlight the need to sustain positive behavioural shifts such as remote work and active commuting and to restore confidence in public transport as part of the post-pandemic mobility transition.