Factors Influencing Passengers’ Satisfaction with the Light Rail Transit Service in Alpha Cities: Evidence from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Using Structural Equation Modelling

Sotaro Yukawa,Muhamad Nazri Borhan,Ahmad Nazrul Hakimi Ibrahim,Riza Atiq Rahmat,Muhamad Razuhanafi Mat Yazid

doi:10.3390/math9161954

Sotaro Yukawa, Muhamad Nazri Borhan + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/math9161954

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Abstract

Policy makers and service providers must have a good understanding of the determinants of passengers’ satisfaction with light rail transit (LRT) in order to be able to formulate effective strategies that ensure passenger satisfaction, which would in turn help to retain existing passengers and attract new ones. This is seen as the most important determinant of the long-term financial performance of LRT service. In this context, the present study seeks to establish the influence of passenger expectation, perceived quality and perceived value on their satisfaction with the service provided. A total of 417 responses from a self-administrated questionnaire were collected from LRT passengers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The proposed model was tested using a structural equation model. The results proved the significant and direct effect of perceived quality and perceived value on passenger satisfaction. Of the factors, perceived quality is the most critical construct determining the satisfaction level of LRT passengers. The present study concludes by deriving the theoretical and managerial implications on the field of transport. This study provides beneficial information which helps service providers, authorities, policy makers, planners, and researchers formulate effective strategies to increase the use of LRT service, especially in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and other alpha and metropolitan cities in general.

Highlights

The rapid population growth and urban development in many cities worldwide has led to the massive urbanisation and intricate transformation of the urban landscape
The present study hopes to provide useful information that would help service providers, authorities, policy makers, planners and researchers formulate effective strategies to increase the use of rail transit, especially in Kuala Lumpur, and in other alpha and metropolitan cities in general
This study has demonstrated the impact of passenger expectation, perceived quality and perceived value towards passengers’ satisfaction with the light rail transit (LRT) service

Summary

Introduction

The rapid population growth and urban development in many cities worldwide has led to the massive urbanisation and intricate transformation of the urban landscape This is one of the phenomena faced by the increasingly higher number of rural people migrating to urban areas in the pursuit of better employment and education opportunities; this has contributed to a higher degree of urban agglomeration. Kwan et al [2] emphasised that an inadequate public transport network leads to the dependence of motorised transport for mobility This has contributed to a number of social economic burdens, including massive traffic congestion, risks of road accidents, longer travel time, higher cost, and environmental problems such as air pollution and high carbon dioxide emissions [2,3,4]. The use of motorised transport could have an adverse impact on human health due to air and noise pollution and the involuntary adoption of a sedentary lifestyle [5,6]

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