Service Quality of Addis Ababa Light Rail Transit: Passengers’ Views and Perspectives

Abstract

Understanding the service quality of public transportation based on users’ perception is an important input for local governments and transit service providers in their planning efforts to improve system performance. Using the Addis Ababa Light Rail Transit (AALRT) as a case, this study aims to examine service users' views and perspectives by using 18 quality attributes. Factor analysis and ordered logit model were employed for this study. Factor analysis with principal components was used to extract the most important factors of satisfaction from the 18 attributes. The results showed that safety and security, ticketing system, travel information, crowdedness, frequency, cleanliness, and comfort are the most important factors influencing user satisfaction. The level of importance of these factors varies depending on different socioeconomic and travel characteristics of AALRT users. Riders who use the light rail at afternoon peak hours, have high household income and short travel duration, and use LRT for shopping purposes have a negative perception regarding the crowdedness, frequency, ticketing, and information system of the AALRT. Passengers with longer travel distance, those who use the AALRT frequently, and full- or part-time workers and students have a positive perception towards several attributes of the system.

Keywords

Satisfaction / Service quality / Light rail transit / Perceptions / Public transportation / Factor analysis / Ordered logit model

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