Engineering and Applied Science Research (May 2021)
Commuters’ satisfaction with service quality of Airlift and Swvl bus services in Lahore
Abstract
The Airlift and SwvlApp-based demand-responsive bus services were initiated in Lahore to fill the demand of available travelers. These services provide travel options at designated routes and stops. The commuters can book their ride using mobile applications mentioning theirpick-up and drop-off locations on a particularroute. Commuters’satisfaction with service quality is important to make these services successful in the long run. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the commuters’ satisfaction with the quality of service of both bus services using the results of a questionnaire survey. Thequestionnaire was designed consisting of personal and travel information of the respondents, and perceptions related to satisfaction with selected attributes of service quality. This survey was conducted in Lahore city, and 200 and 284 samples were obtained for Airlift and Swvl bus services, respectively. Factor analyses were conducted on collected data and the structural model of users’ satisfaction was constructed. The factors of Airlift bus service included service and system attributes (SSA), instrumental attributes (IA), safety and attractive attributes (SAA) and spatial and temporal coverage attributes (SCTA) andofSwvl bus service included spatial coverage and safety attributes (SCSA), instrumental attributes (IA), system Attributes (SA) and attractive attributes (AA). The results of structural equation modeling revealed that the service, system, instrumental, safety, and attractive attributes,and spatial and temporal dimensionsare significant determinants of commuters’ satisfaction with the service quality of transit modes. The users’ overall satisfaction with service quality also hasapositiveinfluenceon commuters’ intentions to continue the use of these services. The improvements in specific attributes would enhance commuters’ satisfaction as well as their intentions to useAirlift and Swvl bus services.
