The Impact of Public Bus Service Quality on the Users’ Satisfaction: Evidence from a Developing Asian City
Keywords:
public transport, customer satisfaction, service quality, partial-least squares-structural equation model
Abstract
In a country where there is a high level of car ownership, public buses is considered as another modes of transport that is more sustainable. Despite that, there is a very low level of public bus ridership in Malaysia which questions the users’ satisfaction on its service quality. This study investigates the role of public buses service quality (tangibility, reliability, assurance, empathy and responsiveness) by the utilizing the SERVQUAL model towards users’ satisfaction. A sample of 300 questionnaires were obtained from public bus users in Kota Samarahan, Malaysia as the case study area. Using Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Model, the results show that tangibility, reliability and responsiveness are significant service quality factors that influence users’ satisfaction of public buses in the case study area. Of the factors, tangibility is considered as the most critical factor that influence users’ satisfaction. This study provides imperative knowledge which will be advantageous for stakeholders specifically policy-makers, transport ministries, town planners, local authorities and service operators in strategizing policies and plans that could encourage the public buses usage.
References
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[29] Saadat, M., Tahbet, T. R., & Mannan, M. A. (2018). Factors That Influence Customer Satisfaction in Airline Industry in Malaysia. IOSR JBM, 20(8), 1-6.
[30] Sarstedt, M., Ringle, C. M., Smith, D., Reams, R., & Hair Jr, J. F. (2014). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM): A useful tool for family business researchers. Journal of family business strategy, 5(1), 105-115.
[31] Susnienė, D. (2012). Quality approach to the sustainability of public transport. Transport, 27(1), 102-110.
[32] Thompson, K., & Schofield, P. (2007). An investigation of the relationship between public transport performance and destination satisfaction. Journal of transport geography, 15(2), 136-144.
[33] Ueasangkomsate, P. (2021). Service quality of public road passenger transport in Thailand. Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences, 40, 74-81.
[34] Zainal, N. S., Shaharudin, M. R., & Jusoff, K. (2010). Service quality perceptions between cooperative and Islamic Banks of Britain. American Journal of Economics and Business Administration, 2(1), 1-5.
[35] Zakaria, Z., Hussin, Z. H., Batau, M. F. A., & Zakaria, Z. (2010). Service quality of Malaysian public transports: a case study in Malaysia. Cross-Cultural Communication, 6(2), 84-92.
[36] Zhang, Z., Ma, T., Ji, N., Hu, Z., & Zhu, W. (2019). An assessment of the relationship between driving skills and driving behaviors among Chinese bus drivers. Advances in Mechanical Engineering, 11(1), 1–10.
[2] Beirão, G., & Cabral, J. S. (2007). Understanding attitudes towards public transport and private car: A qualitative study. Transport policy, 14(6), 478-489.
[3] Bielen, F., & Demoulin, N. (2007). Waiting time influence on the satisfaction‐loyalty relationship in services. Managing Service Quality: An International Journal.
[4] Bitner, M. J.(1992). Servicescapes: The Impact of Physical Surroundings on Customers and Employees. Journal of Marketing, 56(2), 56-71.
[5] Budiono, O. (2009). Customer Satisfaction in Public Bus Transport: A study of travelers' perception in Indonesia.
[6] Buttle, F. (1996). SERVQUAL: review, critique, research agenda. European Journal of marketing.
[7] Cavana, R. Y., Corbett, L. M., & Lo, Y. G. (2007). Developing zones of tolerance for managing passenger rail service quality. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management.
[8] Chou, P. F., Lu, C. S., & Chang, Y. H. (2014). Effects of service quality and customer satisfaction on customer loyalty in high-speed rail services in Taiwan. Transportmetrica A: Transport Science, 10(10), 917-945.
[9] Eboli, L., & Mazzulla, G. (2007). Service quality attributes affecting customer satisfaction for bus transit. Journal of public transportation, 10(3), 2.
[10] Ennew, C., Waite, N., & Waite, R. (2013). Financial services marketing: An international guide to principles and practice. Routledge.
[11] Fellesson, M., & Friman, M. (2012, February). Perceived satisfaction with public transport service in nine European cities. In Journal of the Transportation Research Forum (Vol. 47, No. 3).
[12] Fillone, A. M., Montalbo, C. M., & Tiglao, N. C. (2005). Assessing urban travel: A structural equations modeling (SEM) approach. In Proceedings of the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies (Vol. 5, pp. 1050-1064).
[13] Ghadimzadeh, A., Makmom, A. A., Hosea, M. K., & Narany, T. S. Review on CO2 Emissionfrom Transportation Sector in Malaysia.
[14] Grönroos, C. (1996). Relationship marketing: strategic and tactical implications. Management decision.
[15] Grönroos, C. (2007). Service management and marketing: customer management in service competition. John Wiley & Sons.
[16] Ibrahim, A. N. H., Borhan, M. N., Ismail, A., Mat Yazid, M. R., Mhd Yunin, N. A., & Yukawa, S. (2021). Gender and Age Do Matter: Exploring the Effect of Passengers’ Gender and Age on the Perception of Light Rail Transit Service Quality in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Sustainability, 13(2), 990.
[17] Kodukula, S. (2011). Raising Automobile Dependency: How to Break the Trend. Sustainable urban transport technical document, 8.
[18]Kozerska, M. (2007). Managing Service Quality–Servqual Method: Strengths And Weaknesses. Advanced Logistic systems, 1(1), 61-65.
[19] Leong, L. Y., Hew, T. S., Lee, V. H., & Ooi, K. B. (2015). An SEM–artificial-neural-network analysis of the relationships between SERVPERF, customer satisfaction and loyalty among low-cost and full-service airline. Expert systems with applications, 42(19), 6620-6634.
[20] Malaysia Automotive Institute (2018). Vehicle Registration Statistics for Private Vehicle, Goods Vehicle and Others.
[21] McKnight, C. E., Pagano, A. M., & Paaaswell, R. E. (1986). Using quality to predict demand for special transportation. In Behavioural Research for Transport Policy International Association for Travel Behaviour.
[22] Oliver, R. L. (1980). A cognitive model of the antecedents and consequences of satisfaction decisions. Journal of marketing research, 17(4), 460-469.
[23] Parasuramam, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1985). 17. Mohammad, AAS and SYM Alhamadani, 2011. A conceptual model of service quality and its Service quality perspectives and Customer implications for future research. Journal of Marketing, satisfaction in commercial banks working in Jordan, 49, 41-50.
[24] Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. (1988). SERVQUAL: A multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality. 1988, 64(1), 12-40.
[25] Parry, I. W., Walls, M., & Harrington, W. (2007). Automobile externalities and policies. Journal of economic literature, 45(2), 373-399.
[26] Pérez, M. S., Abad, J. C. G., Carrillo, G. M. M., & Fernández, R. S. (2007). Effects of service quality dimensions on behavioural purchase intentions: A study in public‐sector transport. Managing Service Quality: An International Journal.
[27] Raspor, S. (2010). Measuring perceived service quality using SERVQUAL: a case study of the Croatian hotel industry. Management (18544223), 5(3).
[28] Rushton, A., & Carson, D. J. (1989). Services–marketing with a difference?. Marketing Intelligence & Planning.
[29] Saadat, M., Tahbet, T. R., & Mannan, M. A. (2018). Factors That Influence Customer Satisfaction in Airline Industry in Malaysia. IOSR JBM, 20(8), 1-6.
[30] Sarstedt, M., Ringle, C. M., Smith, D., Reams, R., & Hair Jr, J. F. (2014). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM): A useful tool for family business researchers. Journal of family business strategy, 5(1), 105-115.
[31] Susnienė, D. (2012). Quality approach to the sustainability of public transport. Transport, 27(1), 102-110.
[32] Thompson, K., & Schofield, P. (2007). An investigation of the relationship between public transport performance and destination satisfaction. Journal of transport geography, 15(2), 136-144.
[33] Ueasangkomsate, P. (2021). Service quality of public road passenger transport in Thailand. Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences, 40, 74-81.
[34] Zainal, N. S., Shaharudin, M. R., & Jusoff, K. (2010). Service quality perceptions between cooperative and Islamic Banks of Britain. American Journal of Economics and Business Administration, 2(1), 1-5.
[35] Zakaria, Z., Hussin, Z. H., Batau, M. F. A., & Zakaria, Z. (2010). Service quality of Malaysian public transports: a case study in Malaysia. Cross-Cultural Communication, 6(2), 84-92.
[36] Zhang, Z., Ma, T., Ji, N., Hu, Z., & Zhu, W. (2019). An assessment of the relationship between driving skills and driving behaviors among Chinese bus drivers. Advances in Mechanical Engineering, 11(1), 1–10.
Published
2022-06-29
How to Cite
Ubaidillah, N. Z., Sa’ad, N. H., Ahmad Nordin, N., Baharuddin, N. N., Ismail, F., & Hassan, M. K. H. (2022). The Impact of Public Bus Service Quality on the Users’ Satisfaction: Evidence from a Developing Asian City. Review of Applied Socio-Economic Research, 23(1), 83-96. https://doi.org/10.54609/reaser.v23i1.185
Section
Articles
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