Study the Nature of the Need for a Passenger Information Management System for the Department of Railways in Sri Lanka: In Passengers’ Perspective

Abstract

Sri Lanka South Asian country has a high demand for railway services as public passenger transportation. Although more than 3.7 million passengers use the railways daily, the lack of a Passenger Information Management System (PIMS) for the Sri Lanka Railways (SLR) is still a problem. Therefore, this study's main objective is to identify the need for a PIMS in SLR. A cluster sampling technique was applied to select a sample of 327 passengers serviced from the Colombo Fort Railway Station, the premier central railway station in Sri Lanka. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Descriptive Statistics, one-way ANOVA, and multiple regression were used as analytical techniques. According to the analysis, the average value of the index related to the need for a PIMS is 39.18. Most passengers need a PIMS index value higher than the average value. It reveals the majority need for a PIMS. Computer knowledge, online knowledge level, knowledge of electronic card usage, the primary purpose of using the train service, train service usage frequency, and satisfaction with the M-ticketing service were identified as the factors affecting the need for a PIMS for the SLR using one-way ANOVA. Regression analysis proves that the attitude towards an online ticketing procedure, the service at the ticket counter, and the ease of knowing about the train schedule have a significant effect on the need for a PIMS. It implies that the need for a PIMS will decrease if the service at the ticket counter is more efficient and if there is an easy way for train passengers to get information about the train schedule quickly. It is suggested that the SLR should establish an easy-to-use, secure PIMS covering all sectors, using a simple interface that is tailored to the individual at all levels and further demonstrated that the government and the SLR should pay special attention to the issue.