Transactions on Transport Sciences 2024, 15(1):28-39 | DOI: 10.5507/tots.2023.018

Customers' Satisfaction and Intentions with Public Transportation in Faisalabad, Pakistan: Implications for a Bus Rapid Transit Service

Muhammad Ashraf Javida, Qasim Tahirb, Muhammad Massab Ammarb, Bilal Ahmad Khanb, Yasin Mehdib, Nazam Alic*
a. Faculty of Engineering, Sohar University, Sohar, Sultanate of Oman
b. Department of Civil Engineering, NFC Institute of Engineering and Fertilizer Research, Jaranwala Road, Faisalabad, Pakistan
c. Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

The public transport system in Faisalabad is underdeveloped and inefficient to meet the travel demands of the people. It mainly consists of a multitude of Para-transit modes such as auto-rickshaws, Qingqi (motorcycle rickshaws), and wagons, etc. These modes do not meet the mobility needs of the low-income group or captive riders. This research tends to assess customers' satisfaction with the current public transport system and their preferences towards the introduction of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Faisalabad. A questionnaire was designed in this study to gather travelers' perceptions about public transport in Faisalabad. The questionnaire consisted of personal and travel information of the travelers, satisfaction with service quality attributes, important attributes in traveling, and behavioral intentions with the BRT service. This survey was conducted physically and a total of 225 samples were collected. Results showed that the customers' satisfaction level with existing public transport modes is quite low. Most of the respondents showed positive intent to use the BRT service as they perceived it as a safe, comfortable, convenient, and economical mode of transport. Results revealed that most travelers want to shift to an improved transportation system. Results of factor analysis and structural equation modeling revealed that low satisfaction with transit modes has a negative impact on customers' behavioral intentions. Most of the respondents said that cost, travel time, air conditioning, travel time reliability, comfort, and ability to make stops on the way are very important attributes of the BRT service. Most of the users believed that it will reduce air pollution, provide better accessibility, and would be safe for female travelers. Also, customers' perceived level of importance significantly and positively influences their intentions towards BRT service. This study recommends the provision of a BRT-like bus transport service in Faisalabad to meet the mobility needs of the masses.

Keywords: Urban Mobility Perceptions; Transit Service Assessment; Commuter Behaviour Analysis; Commuter Satisfaction; Public Transport

Received: March 23, 2023; Revised: September 14, 2023; Accepted: September 27, 2023; Prepublished online: November 8, 2023; Published: April 1, 2024  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Javid, M.A., Tahir, Q., Ammar, M.M., Khan, B.A., Mehdi, Y., & Ali, N. (2024). Customers' Satisfaction and Intentions with Public Transportation in Faisalabad, Pakistan: Implications for a Bus Rapid Transit Service. Transactions on Transport Sciences, 15(1), 28-39. doi: 10.5507/tots.2023.018
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Abenoza, R. F., Cats, O., & Susilo, Y. O. (2017). Travel satisfaction with public transport: Determinants, user classes, regional disparities and their evolution. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 95, 64-84. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TRA.2016.11.011 Go to original source...
    2. Abou-Zeid, M., & Fujii, S. (2016). Travel satisfaction effects of changes in public transport usage. Transportation, 43(2), 301-314. https://doi.org/10.1007/S11116-015-9576-3 Go to original source...
    3. Ali, N., Nakayama, S., & Yamaguchi, H. (2023). Using the extensions of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) for behavioral intentions to use public transport (PT) in Kanazawa, Japan. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 17, 100742. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2022.100742 Go to original source...
    4. Ali, N. (2021). Evaluating sustainable urban transport systems: A Review study for the identification of smart mobility indicators. Trans. Transp. Sci, 12, 16-23. https://doi.org/10.5507/tots.2021.008 Go to original source...
    5. Amponsah, C. T., & Adams, S. (2016). Service quality and customer satisfaction in public transport operations. International Journal of Services and Operations Management, 25(4), 531-549. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJSOM.2016.080279 Go to original source...
    6. Aniley, B., & Negi, R. (2010). Service Quality Attributes Affecting Passenger's Satisfaction with HIGER City Bus Service Quality Attributes Affecting Passengers' Satisfaction with HIGER City Bus (Issue 2).
    7. Bentler, P. M., & Bonett, D. G. (1980). Significance tests and goodness of fit in the analysis of covariance structures. Psychological Bulletin, 88(3), 588-606. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.88.3.588 Go to original source...
    8. Chan, W. C., Ibrahim, W. H. W., Lo, M. C., Suaidi, M. K., & Ha, S. T. (2021). Determinants of customer satisfaction and loyalty in public transport: A PLS-SEM approach. Estudios de Economia Aplicada, 39(8). https://doi.org/10.25115/EEA.V39I8.4507 Go to original source...
    9. Chen, M. F., & Tung, P. J. (2014). Developing an extended theory of planned behavior model to predict consumers' intention to visit green hotels. International journal of hospitality management, 36, 221-230. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2013.09.006 Go to original source...
    10. Christiansen, P., Engebretsen, Ø., Fearnley, N., & Usterud Hanssen, J. (2017). Parking facilities and the built environment: Impacts on travel behaviour. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 95, 198-206. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TRA.2016.10.025 Go to original source...
    11. Collins, P. A., & MacFarlane, R. (2018). Evaluating the determinants of switching to public transit in an automobile-oriented mid-sized Canadian city: A longitudinal analysis. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 118, 682-695. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2018.10.014 Go to original source...
    12. Das, A. M., Imhimmed, H., Irtema, M., Ismail, A., Borhan, M. N., Abdelsalam, H. M., Alshetwi, A. B. Z., Albrka, S. I., Milad, A., Mo-Hashhash, B., Alfakhri, A. Y. Y., Yahia, H. A. M., Musbah, A., & Allam, A. (2018). Perceptions Passengers on Service Quality: Public Transport in Kuala Lumpur. In International Journal of Engineering & Technology 7(2). Retrieved from www.sciencepubco.com/index.php/IJET Go to original source...
    13. De Oña, J. (2021). Understanding the mediator role of satisfaction in public transport: A cross-country analysis. Transport Policy, 100, 129-149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2020.09.011 Go to original source...
    14. De Oña, R., MacHado, J. L., & De Oña, J. (2015). Perceived Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction, and Behavioral Intentions. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2538(1), 76-85. https://doi.org/10.3141/2538-09 Go to original source...
    15. Dell'Olio, L., Ibeas, A., & Cecin, P. (2011). The quality of service desired by public transport users. Transport Policy, 18(1), 217-227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2010.08.005 Go to original source...
    16. Dell'Olio, L., Ibeas, A., & Cecín, P. (2010). Modelling user perception of bus transit quality. Transport Policy, 17(6), 388-397. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2010.04.006 Go to original source...
    17. El Zein, A. (2019). A study of service quality and customer satisfaction of using public transport in Libanon. Near East University.
    18. Field, A. (2013). Discovering Statistics using SPSS (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
    19. Friman, M. (2004). Implementing Quality Improvements in Public Transport. Journal of Public Transportation, 7(4), 49-65. https://doi.org/10.5038/2375-0901.7.4.3 Go to original source...
    20. Friman, M., Lättman, K., & Olsson, L. E. (2020). Public Transport Quality, Safety, and Perceived Accessibility. Sustainability 2020, 12(9), 3563. https://doi.org/10.3390/SU12093563 Go to original source...
    21. Gao, L., Yu, Y., & Liang, W. (2016). Public Transit Customer Satisfaction Dimensions Discovery from Online Reviews. Urban Rail Transit, 2(3-4), 146-152. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40864-016-0042-0 Go to original source...
    22. Githui, J. N., Okamura, T., & Nakamura, F. (2010). The Structure of Users' Satisfaction on Urban Public Transport Service in Developing Country: the Case of Nairobi. Journal of the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies, 8, 1288-1300. https://doi.org/10.11175/EASTS.8.1288 Go to original source...
    23. Guadagnoli, E., & Velicer, W. F. (1988). Relation of Sample Size to the Stability of Component Patterns. Psychological Bulletin, 103(2), 265-275. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.103.2.265 Go to original source...
    24. Hair, J. F., J., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2009). Multivariate data analysis (7th ed.). Pearson Prentice Hall.
    25. Hakimi Ibrahim, A. N., & Borhan, M. N. (2020). The Interrelationship Between Perceived Quality, Perceived Value and User Satisfaction Towards Behavioral Intention in Public Transportation: A Review of the Evidence. International Journal on Advanced Science, Engineering and Information Technology, 10(5), 2048-2056. https://doi.org/10.18517/IJASEIT.10.5.12818 Go to original source...
    26. Hasan, U., Whyte, A., & Jassmi, H. Al. (2021). Public bus transport service satisfaction: Understanding its value to urban passengers towards improved uptake. International Scentific Journal for Transport Sciences, 12(1), 25-37. https://doi.org/10.5507/TOTS.2021.002 Go to original source...
    27. Heath, Y., & Gifford, R. (2002). Extending the theory of planned behavior: Predicting the use of public transportation. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 32(10), 2154-2189. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2002.tb02068.x Go to original source...
    28. Hess, D. B. (2001). The Effects of Free Parking on Commuter Mode Choice: Evidence from Travel Diary Data, 34. https://doi.org/10.3141/1753-05 Go to original source...
    29. Hinton, P. R., & Isabella McMurray, C. B. (2014). SPSS Explained (2nd ed.). Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107415324.004 Go to original source...
    30. Hooper, D., Coughlan, J., & Mullen, M. R. (2008). Structural equation modelling: Guidelines for determining model fit. Electronic Journal of Business Research Methods, 6(1), 53-60. https://doi.org/10.21427/D79B73 Go to original source...
    31. Hu, L. T., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling, 6(1), 1-55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118 Go to original source...
    32. Hussein, A., & Hapsari, R. (2014). How quality, value, and satisfaction create passenger loyalty: an empirical study on Indonesia bus rapid transit passenger. The International Journal of Accounting and Business Society, 22(2), 95-115.
    33. Ismail, A., Rose, I. R., Tudin, R., & Dawi, N. M. (2017). Relationship between Service Quality and Behavioral Intentions: The Mediating Effect of Customer Satisfaction. ETIKONOMI, 16(2), 125-144. https://doi.org/10.15408/ETK.V16I2.5537 Go to original source...
    34. Javid, M. A., & Al-Kasbi, G. H. (2021). Factors affecting students' intentions to use a university bus: importance of travel attitudes and service quality attributes. Journal of Engineering Research, 9(4B), 83-97. https://doi.org/10.36909/JER.9727 Go to original source...
    35. Javid, M. A., Okamura, T., & Nakamura, F. (2015). Public Satisfaction with Service Quality of Daewoo Urban Bus Service in Lahore. Journal of the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies, 11(0), 1097-1108.
    36. Javid, M. A., Okamura, T., Nakamura, F., Tanaka, S., & Wang, R. (2014). Public Perceptions to Travel Demand Management Measures in Lahore, Pakistan: Analysis and Implications. Proceedings of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences, 51(1), 17-29.
    37. Javid, M. A., Okamura, T., Nakamura, F., Tanaka, S., & Wang, R. (2016). People's behavioral intentions towards public transport in Lahore: Role of situational constraints, mobility restrictions and incentives. KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering, 20(1), 401-410. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-015-1123-4 Go to original source...
    38. Joewono, T. B., & Kubota, H. (2006). Safety and Security Improvement in Public Transportation Based on Public Perception in Developing Countries. IATSS Research, 30(1), 86-100. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0386-1112(14)60159-x Go to original source...
    39. Lo, S. H., van Breukelen, G. J., Peters, G. J. Y., & Kok, G. (2016). Commuting travel mode choice among office workers: Comparing an Extended Theory of Planned Behavior model between regions and organizational sectors. Travel Behaviour and Society, 4, https://doi.org/1-10. 10.1016/j.tbs.2015.11.002 Go to original source...
    40. Macrotrends. (2023). Faisalabad, Pakistan Metro Area Population 1950-2023 | MacroTrends. Retrieved from https://www.macrotrends.net/cities/22038/faisalabad/population
    41. Mani, K., & Zainuddin, S. (2022). Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Malaysia: Passengers Satisfaction on Service Quality and Price. International Journal of Innovation and Business Strategy, 15(2), 19-37. Retrieved from https://ijibs.utm.my/index.php/ijibs/article/view/94
    42. Ng, P. Y., & Phung, P. T. (2021). Public transportation in Hanoi: Applying an integrative model of behavioral intention. Case studies on transport policy, 9(2), 395-404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cstp.2020.10.012 Go to original source...
    43. Olivková, I. (2016). Evaluation of Quality Public Transport Criteria in Terms of Passenger Satisfaction. Transport and Telecommunication, 17(1), 18-27. https://doi.org/10.1515/ttj-2016-0003 Go to original source...
    44. Peterson, R. A., & Kim, Y. (2013). On the relationship between coefficient alpha and composite reliability. Journal of Applied Psychology, 98(1), 194-198. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030767 Go to original source...
    45. PopulationStat. (2023). Faisalabad, Pakistan Population (2023) - Population Stat. Retrieved from https://populationstat.com/pakistan/faisalabad
    46. Redman, L., Friman, M., Gärling, T., & Hartig, T. (2013). Quality attributes of public transport that attract car users: A research review. Transport Policy, 25, 119-127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2012.11.005 Go to original source...
    47. Sánchez-Atondo, A., García, L., Calderón-Ramírez, J., Gutiérrez-Moreno, J. M., & Mungaray-Moctezuma, A. (2020). Understanding public transport ridership in developing countries to promote sustainable urban mobility: A case study of Mexicali, Mexico. Sustainability, 12(8), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.3390/SU12083266 Go to original source...
    48. Schermelleh-Engel, K., Moosbrugger, H., & Müller, H. (2003). Evaluating the Fit of Structural Equation Models: Tests of Significance and Descriptive Goodness-of-Fit Measures. Methods of Psychological Research, 8(2), 23-74. Retrieved from https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2003-08119-003
    49. Sharaby, N., & Shiftan, Y. (2012). The impact of fare integration on travel behavior and transit ridership. Transport Policy, 21, 63-70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2012.01.015 Go to original source...
    50. Shrestha, N. (2021). Factor Analysis as a Tool for Survey Analysis. American Journal of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, 9(1), 4-11. https://doi.org/10.12691/ajams-9-1-2 Go to original source...
    51. ªimºekoğlu, Ö., Nordfjærn, T., & Rundmo, T. (2015). The role of attitudes, transport priorities, and car use habit for travel mode use and intentions to use public transportation in an urban Norwegian public. Transport Policy, 42, 113-120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2015.05.019 Go to original source...
    52. Syam, A. A. (2014). Cultural Values: A New Approach to Explain People's Travel Behaviour and Attitudes toward Transport Mode. The University of Auckland.
    53. Taber, K. S. (2018). The Use of Cronbach's Alpha When Developing and Reporting Research Instruments in Science Education. Research in Science Education, 48, 1273-1296. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-016-9602-2 Go to original source...
    54. Tavakol, M., & Dennick, R. (2011). Making sense of Cronbach's alpha. International Journal of Medical Education, 2, 53-55. https://doi.org/10.5116/ijme.4dfb.8dfd Go to original source...
    55. Thondoo, M., Marquet, O., Márquez, S., & Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J. (2020). Small cities, big needs: Urban transport planning in cities of developing countries. Journal of Transport & Health, 19, 100944. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JTH.2020.100944 Go to original source...
    56. Tiwari, G., & Phillip, C. (2021). Development of public transport systems in small cities: A roadmap for achieving sustainable development goal indicator 11.2. IATSS Research, 45(1), 31-38. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IATSSR.2021.02.002 Go to original source...
    57. Zailani, S., Iranmanesh, M., Masron, T. A., & Chan, T. H. (2016). Is the intention to use public transport for different travel purposes determined by different factors?. Transportation research part D: transport and environment, 49, 18-24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2016.08.038 Go to original source...
    58. Zhang, D., Schmöcker, J. D., Fujii, S., & Yang, X. (2016). Social norms and public transport usage: empirical study from Shanghai. Transportation, 43, 869-888. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-015-9625-y Go to original source...

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content