Abstract
In order to evaluate the URTPSQ (Urban Rail Transit Passenger Service Quality) comprehensively, find the shortage of URTPSQ, find out the difference between the actual service situation and the passenger’s expectation and demand,and provide passengers with better travel services, a passenger-oriented KANO–Entropy–TOPSIS (Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) method is proposed and applied in this paper. Firstly, a KANO model is applied to select the service quality indicators from the 24 URTPSQ evaluation sub-indicators, according to the selection results, the KANO service quality indicators of URTPSQ are constructed. Then the sensitivity of the KANO service quality indicators based on the KANO model are calculated and ranked, the PS (Passenger Satisfaction) of each KANO service quality indicator by using the Entropy–TOPSIS method is calculated and ranked. Based on the difference between the sensitivity degree rank and the satisfaction degree rank of each KANO service quality indicator, determine the service quality KANO indicators of the URTPSQ that need to be improved significantly. A case study is conducted by taking the Chengdu subway system in China as a background. The results show that the Chengdu subway operation enterprises should pay attention to the must-be demand first, then the one-dimensional demand, finally the attractive demand. The three indicators, including transfer on the same floor in the station, service quality of staffs of urban rail transit enterprises,and cleanness in the station and passenger coach, need to be improved urgently. For the managers and operators of urban rail transit system, the passengers’ must-be demand should be satisfied first if the KANO model is applied to evaluate the service. The indicators with highest sensitivity degree and lowest TOPSIS value should be improved based on the KANO–Entropy–TOPSIS model.
Highlights
Over the last decade, urban rail transit system development has been booming in China
Based on the final analysis of this paper, we try to overcome the shortage of urban rail transit passenger service, improve the gap between actual service and passengers’ perceptions and expectations, and provide passengers with more personalized travel services, which is significant to the health development of urban rail transit system
TOPSIS (Huang et al 2018a, 2018b) attempts to choose alternatives that should simultaneously have the closest distance from the positive ideal solution and the farthest distance from the negative ideal solution, it belongs to an objective and quantitative rank approach, which means, the final difference value between the sensitivity degree rank and the satisfaction degree rank of each KANO service quality indicator obtained by Entropy–TOPSIS method is more accurate, objective, and less influence by experience or knowledge from the evaluators or experts than other MCDM approaches, such as AHP and FAHP
Summary
Urban rail transit system (including subway system, light rail system, suburban railway, monorail system, tram system and magnetic levitation system) development has been booming in China. Through on-the-spot investigation and comprehensive evaluation of the URTPSQ, the shortage of urban rail transit passenger service and the gap between actual service and passengers’ perceptions and expectations can be found, so as to provide passengers with more personalized travel services. »» the KANO model is used to select the service quality indicators from the 24 URTPSQ evaluation subindicators, because not all 24 sub-indicators belong to the service quality indicators. Based on the final analysis of this paper, we try to overcome the shortage of urban rail transit passenger service, improve the gap between actual service and passengers’ perceptions and expectations, and provide passengers with more personalized travel services, which is significant to the health development of urban rail transit system. The major conclusions and an outline of future research tasks are presented
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