User Perceptions of Public Transport Service Quality

Abstract

The perceptions of public transport authorities and users may vary creating a mismatch in policy measures and users’ expectations. It is therefore important to understand user perceptions and identify variables which are more likely to influence their decision to travel in public transport. Taking a case of Ahmedabad city in India, the paper analyses user perceptions about service quality in city bus and Bus Rapid Transit System. The results illustrate that key service quality attributes are similar across different public transport modes, include both on-board and off-board measures and relate to the overall journey experience. The paper also suggests that passenger expectations are linked to existing service quality levels. When service quality is poor, users are more concerned about the basic service attributes and less sensitive to ‘higher order’ quality measures. As service quality improves, user perceptibility widens to a larger set of service parameters.