Estimation of transportation service quality for selected groups of users using customer satisfaction index

Khudhair, Hanan Adil; Alsadik, Samer Muayad; Jameel, Abeer Khudhur · 2021 · Crossref

DOI: 10.21533/pen.v9.i2.740

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Summary

This study addresses the need to quantify public transportation service quality in Baghdad, Iraq, to encourage sustainable transit usage and reduce reliance on private vehicles. The research focuses on identifying the specific attributes that influence mode choice and determining the factors that enhance passenger satisfaction among students and academic staff traveling for educational purposes. The study area encompasses the vicinity of Al-Essra University and Al-Mansour University, where public transport options are limited to minibuses (Jitneys) without fixed timetables. The methodology involved distributing 400 questionnaires to a sample of students and staff, calculated to represent the population with a 95% confidence level. The survey was divided into three sections: factors influencing private car users, factors motivating public bus users, and indicators for quantifying service quality. To measure service quality objectively, the authors constructed a Service Quality Index (SQI) based on the JRC-EC (2008) procedure. This involved grouping indicators into four categories—access to destinations, bus routes, comfort, and safety—and weighting them based on user ratings on a 1–10 scale. Individual perception scores were standardized and aggregated to produce an overall SQI. The results revealed distinct drivers for mode choice. Among private car users, 42% cited long waiting times at stops and inside buses as the primary reason for avoiding public transit, followed by slower speeds (22%) and low service frequency (15%). Conversely, 55% of public bus users selected this mode due to low fares, while 23% did so because they lacked car ownership. When assessing service quality attributes, comfort was rated as the most important indicator by 36% of respondents, followed by the number and location of bus stops (27%) and driver behavior (19%). The calculated overall SQI was 6.77 out of 10, indicating a moderate level of satisfaction. Safety received the highest weighted score (7.80), driven by high ratings for driver behavior and safety equipment, while comfort and bus routing scored lower. Notably, while cost was a major factor for choosing buses, it was rated as the least important criterion for evaluating service quality. The study concludes that current public transportation services in the selected area require improvement to meet user expectations. The findings highlight that reducing waiting times and improving comfort are critical for attracting private car users, while maintaining affordability remains essential for retaining current riders. The authors recommend that future transportation projects prioritize safety enhancements, driver behavior training, and operational efficiency to improve the overall service quality index.

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