Service Quality Assessment of App-Based Demand-Responsive Public Transit Services in Lahore, Pakistan

App-based demand-responsive transit (DRT) services are emerging where conventional public transport is unable to meet the demand. SWVL (choice A) and Airlift (choice B) are two such DRT bus services operating in Lahore, Pakistan. It is important for the policy makers and operators to evaluate the satisfaction levels of the passengers using these services. This study evaluated passengers' satisfaction regarding choice A and choice B through a questionnaire survey. A total of 440 responses were collected from the users of the DRT services through personal interviews and a web-based approach. Factor analysis on the collected data produced two underlying factors, namely service-attributes and bus ambiance. Ordinal regression showed that the service-attributes and ambiance were significant predictors of overall satisfaction levels about choice A. Service-attributes indicated a larger positive impact on overall satisfaction with choice A as compared to ambiance. Although the ordinal model for choice B fitted the data well, the predictors were found to be insignificant. The results offer an insight into which predictors affect the overall satisfaction and how it can be improved.

Automated summary

App-based demand-responsive transit services are growing in areas where traditional public transport falls short. SWVL and Airlift are two such services in Lahore, Pakistan. This study evaluated passenger satisfaction with these services, finding that service-attributes and bus ambiance significantly predicted overall satisfaction in choice A, while predictors were insignificant for choice B. Such insights can help improve overall satisfaction levels for these services.