1,720,992 research outputs found
Measuring service quality in urban bus transport: a modified SERVQUAL approach
No full textPurpose – The paper adapts and applies a modified SERVQUAL approach compliant with the EN
13816, a European standard on service quality in public transport. The purpose of the study is to
provide a quality evaluation tool readily usable by transport operators willing to certify the service
offered.
Design/methodology/approach – Correspondence between the SERVQUAL and the standard is
ensured by guaranteeing that the 15 attributes investigated encompass the eight macro-areas of the
norm. Primary data were collected by means of an on-board survey conducted in Cagliari over a two
week period.
Findings – The study shows the possibility to implement a SERVQUAL approach abiding by the
requirements set by the EN 13816. The results illustrate a high degree of importance placed on
attributes such as on-board security, bus reliability, cleanliness and frequency, with these latter three
characterized by the widest negative gaps between perceptions and expectations. The sole
quantitative supply of transport does not seem to influence quality perceptions more than attributes
such as staff courtesy and bus comfort.
Research limitations/implications – The results are too specific to enable their
generalization. Moreover, the SERVQUAL framework might be improved with the inclusion of
additional attributes.
Originality/value – The study provides public transport operators with a tool characterized by a
good degree of openness and flexibility, so to fit individual needs. It might also be of interest for
practitioners wishing to explore the main drivers of satisfaction among transport users
Urban transport management and customer perceived quality: a case study in the metropolitan area of Cagliari, Italy
Full text linkLiberalization processes and the threats posed by ever increasing competition have forced public transport
companies in Italy to pay a closer attention to their customers, so to enhance loyalty and demand for transport.
These customer-targeted strategies have been responsible for some significant changes of otherwise consolidated
practices, in an attempt to lure new transit riders and discourage potential competitors from entering local markets.
The present study describes the results of an on-board survey implemented within the Cagliari’s metropolitan area
and aimed at discovering the degree of perceived quality toward the offer of public transport managed by CTM
S.p.A, the local transport agency in charge for the planning and management of public mobility around the
Sardinian’ regional capital. The research focuses on the implementation of an Impact Score methodology which,
following the suggestions included in the Transit Cooperative Research Program Report n°47 (1999), assesses
the degree of perceived quality with reference to ten core attributes of the public transport. The survey results
show a substantial lack of structural problems and a high level of perceived quality, although some attributes need
to be addressed if CTM aims to preserve and strengthen the central role so far enjoyed
A Web application as a decision support tool for the mobility management: a case study in Sardinia
No full textUsing AVL raw data for regularity diagnosis on bus networks and route directions
No full textBus regularity is a key element for high frequency transit systems: it represents an appropriate measure of quality of service for both users and transit agencies. Therefore, evaluating the regularity is extremely desirable, but may also be a complex task in medium-size-cities, due to the huge amount of data, which must be collected and processed effectively. Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) technologies can address the data collection problem, but they involve several challenges such as correcting anomalies in gathered raw data and processing information efficiently. In this paper, we propose a methodology to automatically handle AVL raw data for measuring the Level of Service (LoS) of bus regularity in each bus route direction of a transit network, as well as in every bus stop and time period. The results are represented by easy-to-read Control Dashboards (CD). We discuss the experimentation of this methodology to provide valuable insights into the detailed characterization of bus regularity. The methodology is applied to raw data obtained from the transport agency CTM in Cagliari (Italy), whose vehicles are all equipped with AVL technologies
Controlling mobility through an integrated telematic system: an application case in Sardinia (Italy)
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