Table 2.

Translation of codes into themes.

Themes	Subthemes	Thematic codes (Frequency of the codes)
1. Perceived safety of different transport modes	Transportation mode	-(no) Change in commute mode (20). -Previous travel pattern: rickshaw for short distance, CNG for long distance travel (5). -Stopped non-essential travel (9). -Try to use (perceived) safe transport (7).
	Health risk consciousness	-Remain conscious while traveling (8). -Carry hygiene products while going outside of home (9).
	Perceived risk	-Difference in perceived risk by transport mode (20). -Higher risk is perceived in modes with confined spaces (13). -Higher risk is perceived in modes that need to be shared with unknown people (18) -Air-conditioned vehicles are perceived risky (4). -Bus is perceived as the most risky (17). -Motorized two-wheelers are perceived safe for individual use (8). -Motorized two-wheeler based ride-hailing services are perceived unsafe (10).
	Trust issue	-Can’t trust unknown parties regarding their hygiene practices (21). -Lack of awareness on health guidelines/ hygiene practices among the public (24). -Unreliability on transport operators regarding disinfecting the vehicle (13).
	Crowd/ Physical distancing	-Impossible to maintain physical distancing in public transport (18). -Sometimes, buses operator don’t follow health and government mandates on social distancing (9). -Increased number of pedestrians and hawkers in roads (7). -Change in office time table to avoid pedestrian crowd (2). -No way to maintain physical distancing in motorized two-wheelers based ride-hailing services (8).
2. Preferences and dilemmas while using or switching to a different transport mode
	Affordability, Increased fare	-Increase of bus fare (13). -Can’t afford CNG fare (10). -Job loss among the general public (4). -Salary reduction (7). -Increase in daily expenses (12). -Spending on (perceived) safe transport seems luxury / unaffordable (10). -Currently using (perceived) safer modes, but not sure how long they can afford (9). -60 % increase in bus fare during post-lockdown (6).
	(Un) Availability of transport modes	-Rickshaw is not allowed in the office route (4). -Can’t ride in the bus due to disability (2). -Commute route is accident prone for cyclists (4). -No way to go to the job location by walking due to distance (13) -Lack of proper infrastructure (14)
	Aspire to use private transport	-Private modes are safer and convenient, but comparatively expensive (24).
	Office transport	-(no) Office transport facility due to COVID-19 (9). -Feel comparatively safe while traveling while using office transport (4) -Provision of office transport has reduced the cost of transportation for some employees (9).
	Reduced capacity	-50 % capacity in buses is allowed (11).
	Informal transport	-Unavailability of app-based ride-hailing services during the post-lockdown (8). -Motorized two-wheeler based informal ride-hailing services were available (13).
	Interest in motorized two-wheelers	-Emphasis on the benefits of motorized two-wheelers (e.g., speed, convenience, parking) (6). -Conscious about motorized two-wheelers related accidents (6). -Safety features on motorized two wheelers (2). -Expensive to purchase (9). -Personal motorized two-wheelers can provide protection from getting infected (by the virus) while traveling (5).
	License	-Licensing and training to ride (7). -High vehicle registration cost (7).
	Increase in walking	-Started walking for longer distance (commute or non-commute) compared to the pre-pandemic situation (7). -If distance can be covered through walking, prefer walk rather than using shared modes of transport (5). -Pedestrian crowd in side-walks (5). -Lack of proper pedestrian facilities (11).
	Bicycle as a commute mode	-Bicycle is environment friendly but not suitable for Dhaka’s road (13). -Bicycle is not convenient considering Dhaka’s weather (e.g., hot, humidity, rain) (15). -Bicyle can be used for short distance travel (5). -Gender differences in cycling because of the cultural acceptance (3). -Number of female motorized two-wheeler and bicycle users are very low in Bangladesh (3).
	Bicycle storage	-Lack of shower facility (7). -No bicycle parking on streets (4). -No bicycle storage at workplaces (7). -Bicycle got stolen (2).
	Unsafe bicycle infrastructure	-Need bicycle infrastructure (e.g., lane, interconnected network) to use them (11). -Bicycle is perceived as safe from the disease perspective, but not safe from the traffic accident perspective (4).

Note: The total number of times the thematic codes arise from the interviews are noted inside ‘()’.