Analysis of Passengers' Perception of Public Transport Quality and Performance

Abstract

This research investigates the passengers' level of satisfaction from the use of diverse public transport systems. The aim is to uncover factors that drive their modal choices and to assess the quality implications of the variability of the users' perceived satisfaction through the use of two statistical methods (ordered logit and linear mixed models) and comprehensive diagrammatic techniques. Five transit systems in the two major cities in Greece, Athens and Thessaloniki, have been examined. The analysis demonstrated that the most important satisfaction attributes are service frequency, followed by waiting conditions and network coverage, punctuality and in-vehicle transport conditions. A gender-based market segmentation analysis provided further insight into the differences among groups of the population. According to this analysis, female respondents tend to place their attention on punctuality, waiting conditions and driver behavior, while male respondents on in-vehicle transport conditions and the existence and quality of transfer information.