Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, people refrained from crowded places; public transport is one of them. The need for movement was restricted as part of governmental precautions. However, some people continue to go to workplaces as usual, and the ones who do not have personal vehicles continue using public transportation. The current study aims to investigate the experiences of public transport users (i.e., passengers) in Türkiye during the COVID-19 pandemic. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten people living in Ankara. As a result of thematic analysis, four overarching themes and fifteen sub-themes were determined. These overarching themes include changes in travel behavior during COVID-19, factors influencing transportation preferences, suggestions for better planning of public transport services, and suggestions for better crisis management. The results suggest significant policy implications at the municipal and governmental level, emphasizing the need for transparent risk communication, timely measures, and enforcement. Additionally, the study highlights transportation inequity, which becomes visible after the pandemic. We believe that qualitative data provided valuable insight to road authorities about road users' transportation experiences during the pandemic and, thus, how to manage better the pandemic's effect on the transport system based on the mobility needs of the citizens. We hope the results could benefit road authorities in developing effective policies and plans for all countries in the world, especially for the ones having a specific need to improve safety in traffic settings.

由于COVID-19爆发，人们避免前往人群密集的地方；公共交通就是其中之一。作为政府预防措施的一部分，行动的需要受到限制。然而，一些人继续照常去工作场所，而那些没有私家车的人则继续使用公共交通工具。本研究旨在调查新冠肺炎 (COVID-19) 大流行期间土耳其公共交通用户（即乘客）的体验。对居住在安卡拉的十人进行了半结构化访谈。根据主题分析，确定了四个总体主题和十五个子主题。这些总体主题包括 COVID-19 期间出行行为的变化、影响交通偏好的因素、更好规划公共交通服务的建议以及更好危机管理的建议。结果表明，对市和政府层面的政策具有重大意义，强调了透明的风险沟通、及时的措施和执行的必要性。此外，该研究还强调了交通不平等，这一点在大流行后变得显而易见。我们相信，定性数据为道路当局提供了有关道路使用者在大流行期间的交通体验的宝贵见解，从而帮助他们了解如何根据公民的出行需求更好地管理大流行对交通系统的影响。我们希望研究结果能够有利于道路当局为世界各国制定有效的政策和计划，特别是那些有改善交通环境安全特殊需要的国家。