Abstract

India is one of the world’s fastest developing countries, with increased urbanization contributing to a rise in vehicle population in metropolitan areas. This scenario exacerbates several traffic issues such
as congestion, air pollution, and decreased safety, necessitating a change in commuters from private
to public transportation. In light of this, public transportation’s efficacy and service quality must be
improved in order to give a superior alternative to private transportation. Operators of public
transportation, on the other hand, are curious in whatever aspect of service quality attracts
passengers. Estimating service quality and the impact of qualities on service become more crucial in
this area. As a result, the focus of this research is on the technique for estimating service quality
based on user preferences and the measuring influence of factors on service quality. The Rajkot city
(Gujarat) bus rapid transit system was chosen to meet the main objectives. In this system, operator
amenities, safety, convenience, comfort, and service reliability are influencing characteristics on
service quality. A questionnaire was developed with this in mind, and a survey was performed. Each
stop along the BRTS (Bus rapid transit system) circuit used to collect data aggregating about 650
samples from BRTS users. The service attributes considered as Frequency, Punctuality of the bus,
Speed and Proximity of the stops from O/D. Fare, cleanliness of the vehicle, Space, Information,
Safety, Courtesy, and Accessibility. To assess service quality rating and identify impacting
parameters, Structural equation modeling also known as route analysis approach, is utilized. The
structural link between observable variables and their associated latent variables is examined in this
technique. The goodness of indicators proposed by several writers verified this concept. Latent or
hidden variables are simply explained by their associated observed variable in this study. The present
Transit system’s service quality is between Good and Excellent, according to an examination of data
obtained from a survey of Rajkot BRTS. Apart from a few variables, users are quite satisfied with the
service quality of BRTS.
Keywords: Quality survey, Rajkot BRTS, SEM (structural equation modeling), public transportation, transit service indicator
INTRODUCTION
Background Due to increased urbanization and rising travel demand in India, a dependable, effective, and safe mass transportation system is necessary. Mass transit or public transportation is defined as “the movement of people within an urban region utilizing group travel technology such as buses and
trains.” The difficulty of transportation increases as the world’s population rises [1]. This led to the
creation of a new transit system that can offer people with safe, quick, pleasant, and convenient transportation.

Keyworde: Quality survey, Rajkot BRTS, SEM (structural equation modeling), public transportation, transit service indicator

Full Text PDF

Refrences:

1. Alavifar A, Karimimalayer M, Anuar MK. Structural equation modeling VS multiple regression.
2. Sun, Dihua, Hong Luo, Liping Fu, Weining Liu, Xiaoyong Liao, and Min Zhao. “Predicting bus
arrival time on the basis of global positioning system data.” Transportation Research Record
2034, no. 1 (2007): 62-72.
3. Güner, S. (2018). Measuring the quality of public transportation systems and ranking the bus
transit routes using multi-criteria decision making techniques. Case Studies on Transport Policy,
6(2), 214-224.
4. Garrido, M. M., Kelley, A. S., Paris, J., Roza, K., Meier, D. E., Morrison, R. S., & Aldridge, M.
D. (2014). Methods for constructing and assessing propensity scores. Health services research,
49(5), 1701-1720.
5. De Oña, J., De Oña, R., Eboli, L., & Mazzulla, G. (2013). Perceived service quality in bus transit
service: a structural equation approach. Transport Policy, 29, 219-226.
6. Zeithaml, V. A., Parasuraman, A., Berry, L. L., & Berry, L. L. (1990). Delivering quality service:
Balancing customer perceptions and expectations. Simon and Schuster.
7. Eboli L, Mazzulla G. A methodology for evaluating transit service quality based on subjective
and objective measures from the passenger’s point of view. Transp Policy. 2011; 18(1): 172–181.
DOI:10.1016/j.tranpol.2010.07.007.
8. Eboli L, Mazzulla G. A stated preference experiment for measuring service quality in public
transport. Transp Plan Technol. 2008; 31(5): 509–523. DOI:10.1080/03081060802364471.
9. Eboli L, Mazzulla G. Service Quality attributes affecting customer satisfaction for bus transit. J
Public Transp. 2007; 10(3): 21–34. DOI:10.5038/2375-0901.10.3.2.
10. Githui JN, Okamura T, Nakamura F. The structure of users’ satisfaction on urban public transport
service in developing country: the case of Nairobi. J East Asia Soc Transp Stud. 2010; 8: 1288–
1300. DOI:10.11175/easts.8.1288.
11. Rajkot Municipal Corporation. (2022). Detail Project Report for Rajkot Bus. [Online] Available
at http://rajkotrajpath.com/projects.php [Accessed on December 2022]
12. Ding, L., Velicer, W. F., & Harlow, L. L. (1995). Effects of estimation methods, number of
indicators per factor, and improper solutions on structural equation modeling fit indices.
Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 2(2), 119-143.
13. Kline, T. (2005). Psychological testing: A practical approach to design and evaluation. Sage.
14. Eboli L, Mazzulla G. Structural equation modelling for analyzing passengers’ perceptions about
railway services. Procedia-Soc Behav Sci. 2012; 54: 96–106. Eng Sci Technol An Int J. 2012; 2
(2): 326–329.
15. Litman T. Valuing transit service quality improvements. J Public Transp. 2008; 11(2): 43–64.