Redefining user experience: a study of free-fare buses and its service quality in Johor, Malaysia

Abstract

In Malaysia, public transport is well renowned for assisting its residents from place to place while also working to lower the travel cost. However, from the perspective of the bus supplier, free-fare bus service may have significant fuel, maintenance, personnel and infrastructure costs that might not be met by money from passenger fees. In the long run, this can have an impact on the service’s viability and financial sustainability. In order to assess the return on an investment that does not anticipate a monetary return, a study of passengers’ satisfaction of the performance of free-fare bus service operations was conducted in Johor, Malaysia among 375 passengers. The survey covered five aspects, including comfort, responsiveness, facility, safety and information availability. Through the usage of 5-point Likert-scale questions, frequency and descriptive analyses were included. According to a population sample taken at random, more than half of free-fare buses users are female, teenagers or students who does not own a driving licence and without a source of income, making it impossible for them to acquire a motorized vehicle. All factors had a mean score of greater than 3.50, indicating that users are satisfied. This is advantageous because it demonstrates how government funding can result in the best service possible for users. In other way, the good free-fare bus services can attract more passenger in embracing the sustainability strategy to improve the traffic flow.