Service quality of e-hailing taxi services in Johannesburg

Abstract

The study examines the service quality dimensions of e-hailing taxi services for passenger flow in Johannesburg. The objective is to determine the major service quality characteristics that affect customer satisfaction for using e-hailing taxis in Johannesburg. Questionnaires were randomly distributed to 499 e-hailing taxi users in Johannesburg. This study identified and tested service quality dimensions relevant to passengers’ desire for a transport service. The study added safety and affordability to the traditional five service quality factors for analysis. The data collected were subjected to exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and regression. EFA identified reliability, tangibility, safety, and empathy as the major service quality factors for e-hailing taxis in Johannesburg. It was found that these variables significantly affect customer satisfaction with e-hailing taxi services in Johannesburg. A change in reliability will contribute about 19% to customers’ perception of e-hailing taxi services, 28% for tangibility, 15% for safety and 19% for empathy, respectively. The study indicates the importance of safety as a major service quality dimension of public transportation. It implies that e-hailing taxi operators need to pay attention to passengers’ safety with vigilance and appropriate safety measures.