Service Quality of Amman BRT Based on User’s Perceptions: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

• Published in: KSCE journal of civil engineering 2024, 28(8), , pp.3506-3519
• Main Authors: Al-haj, Esra’a, Alamoush, Shrooq, Darwish, Motasem M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age; Age groups; Buses; Buses (vehicles); Chi-square test; Civil Engineering; Colleges & universities; Developing countries; Education; Engineering; Familiarity; Geotechnical Engineering & Applied Earth Sciences; Industrial Pollution Prevention; LDCs; Perception; Rapid transit systems; Statistical tests; Surveys; Temporal perception; Transportation Engineering; User satisfaction; 토목공학
• ISSN: 1226-7988; 1976-3808
• DOI: 10.1007/s12205-024-0175-8

This study aimed to assess the quality of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service in a developing country, implementing this service for the first time, based on service users’ perception. A convenience sample of 425 BRT users were surveyed using a structured QR-based survey. Moreover, to avoid sampling bias toward any specific age group or level of education, participants who had limited familiarity with filling out QR-based surveys received individualized assistance. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to test the proposed model and assess the relationships between the identified factors and the overall perceived quality of the BRT service. BRT users reported a positive perception of the quality of the service, with over 53% expressing satisfaction. Moreover, 63% and 67% reported feeling safe on the bus and bus stations, respectively. Furthermore, 71% reported appropriate service hours, while over 65% reported adequate frequency. Besides, 62% indicated the availability of services (comfortability) in bus stations. The SEM results indicated accessibility and operational, and safety are essential for predicting the quality of the Amman BRT service. The model goodness fit results indicated a good fit to the data and a reliable factor loadings, where χ 2 /d.f = 3.513, Root Mean Squared Error (RMSEA) = 0.079, Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR) = 0.057, Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.905, and Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI) = 0.8. These findings highlighted the users related quality factors. Furthermore, the results showed that 80% of the users are student universities within the age group of 18–24, which indicates the need to promote using BRT across other age groups and sectors.