Comparative assessment of service quality of ipt modes in Urban India

Abstract

This paper carries out a comparative assessment of service quality of intermediate public transport (IPT) modes namely auto-rickshaws and e-rickshaws through users' perception. A questionnaire-based survey was carried out to collect users' data about the importance and satisfaction on a six-point Likert scale. A total number of 856 filled questionnaires were taken and analyzed using Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA). The analysis showed that the attributes of security, convenience for elderly and differently-abled people, and safety of female users, especially during night hours were assigned high importance but low satisfaction with both IPT modes. Further, it was also found that on-board illumination inside the vehicle at night for auto-rickshaw and safety concern for e-rickshaw was also rated with high importance but with low satisfaction. In order to increase the patronage of these IPT modes and improve their service quality, the above attributes were needed to be addressed on a priority basis. The attributes having a high satisfaction need to be maintained at least at the existing levels. The findings of the study shall be useful for policy makers and operators in planning and improvement of the transportation systems of mid-sized cities of developing countries.