Stakeholders' perspectives towards bus quality indicators

Abstract

The bus quality-management process continues to be a key area of investigation for all stakeholders. There is a clear imperative for developing comprehensive quality-monitoring schemes in order to improve service quality with sufficient appeal to attract more users and reduce car dependency. However, one of the main obstacles in the quality-management process is the identification of a concise set of quality indicators that captures the multidimensionality of the service quality (subjective and objective) and considers the perspectives of all stakeholders. Therefore, this paper develops an integrated set of bus quality indicators that considers the perspectives of all stakeholders and combines both subjective and objective parameters of the service quality. The paper uses the data of 456 questionnaires distributed across the UK, and the final list of quality indicators is derived through multi-perspective analysis of the perspectives of academics, local authorities, operators, current users and potential users towards the relevance to application of a wide range of indicators. The results of the paper provide policy makers and operators with clear indications for the desired quality indicators that can readily be implemented for quality monitoring and benchmarking.

Perceived Quality of Bus Transit Services: A Route-Level Analysis

“…The quality loop links four different dimensions of service quality: desired and perceived quality, which measure the user's perspective, and targeted and delivered quality, which measure the operator's perspective. Understanding transit quality and its impacts on ridership is critical to mitigating car dependency, reducing environmental impacts, and alleviating the increasing rate of traffic congestion (6)(7)(8).…”

Editorial

“…The final set of four papers is grouped around the theme of bus quality indicators, reliability and user satisfaction. Mahmoud et al (2014) describe and evaluate indicators from a user perspective in terms of what makes a successful bus network, and suggest a way forward for operators and policymakers to help specify quality bus service provision. Qu et al (2014) present algorithms that can be used to predict bus timetable reliability.…”