Assessment Of Urban Bus Services

Transportation plays a vital role in the economic and socio-cultural development of any nation. Its cost is a significant variable in the market price of any commodity. Transport needs of major cities in Nigeria now present significant challenges for policy makers as unpredictable shifts in population dynamics in response to the need for employment, housing, and sustenance continues. The expansion of the cities in Nigeria, coupled with increasing urban population, results in greater demand for transport provision. This demand has, however, not always been met, and efforts to provide adequate transport service in the cities, are uncoordinated, and poor (Aderamo 2008).This study sought to assess the performance of State Transport Agencies using technical and customer satisfaction parameter with a view to identifying problems and making recommendations. Data was collected from 216 respondents in Minna metropolis.

The respondents rated their agreement with 9 attribute-related statements regarding public transport services .Performance indicators were also assessed based on the parameters in the Public Transit research institute manual and previous research conducted in this field. The result indicate that over all, the transit service performed poorly with a below average score of 5.2 as against an acceptable score of 6.0.The result also shows that only two attributes had an unsatisfactory average score, because the users assign them a mean score rate lower than the sufficiency measure of 6.0. The attributes include availability of shelter at stops and bus crowdedness attribute. The attributes with the highest satisfaction mean scores are safety, bus maintenance and cleanliness. Regarding the variability of user satisfaction, the judgments on perceived quality were not very homogeneous.

Background to the Study

1.0 Introduction

Due to the inadequacy of the various modes of public transportation in virtually all the urban centers in the country, the Urban Mass Transit Programme was established in 1988 as the government response to mobility challenges (Filani, 1991).In line with the objectives of the programme, was the need to mobilize state governments in the Federation to set up mass transit agencies to help combat the urban mobility problem. Overtime, several states owned transport agencies have been established across the country. The objective of the Urban Mass Transit Programme was to modernize the nations urban mass transit system ,to alleviate the problem of urban commuting and to lay the foundation for organized mass transit in Nigeria(Report of the urban mass transit taskforce, 1988).According to Bolade (1980),the urban transport system before 1988 had some deficiencies ,which included general inadequacy of supply relative to demand ,disorganized private operators of Para-transit transport ,defective public owned transport companies in the few cities where they existed ,traffic congestion and defective traffic management in bigger cities.

Mass transit by definition connotes a high capacity means and mode of transporting large number of people within a given network, with relatively short -term headways and reasonable turnaround time .Broadly speaking, mass transit entails rapid rail system, light rail system, tramways and monorails, bus system and where feasible water transport system .However, the bus system is the most commonly used in Nigeria, perhaps because of its flexibility and low investment cost. Generally, state urban mass transit Authorities are far from achieving their stated objectives of providing quality and affordable transport service for the urban majority in Nigeria. Their performance presents a picture of gross mismanagement and inefficiency. Their financial performance is also poor while private investors continue to increase their fleet of buses, taxes and aircraft (Ogunsnaya, 1989:29). Transport demand has continued to increase beyond the capacity of the programme due to the ever increasing population in the Nigerian urban centers .State urban mass transit programme have also been characterized by inadequate and insufficient service delivery. They have been generally mismanaged and politicized .The level of service is unsatisfactory and passengers still experience discomfort due to overcrowding, long waiting time, high cost of intra city mobility, and the preponderance of the use of motor cycles as a mode of urban passenger transport among others (Ogunsanya, 1995).

The performance of state owned Transport Agencies, may be assessed using standard evaluation criteria. That is, Operational performance could be evaluated using such measures as fleet utilization rate, passenger volumes, staff-bus ratio, vehicle kilometers, accident rates, and breakdowns in service. The standard of services could also be assessed by employing such measures as passenger waiting time, passenger journey times, service affordability and walking distance to bus stop. Similarly variables such as the revenue-cost ratio, and cost-per passenger kilometers could be used in assessing financial performance. Behind these assessment is the need to learn lessons that can pave way towards improving the operations of mass transit in order to satisfy the mobility needs of the people is all the time pertinent. This relates to the provision and sustenance of effective services and the planning of public transport operations. Transportation plays a vital role in the economic and socio-cultural development of any nation. Its cost is one of the most significant variables in the market price of any commodity.

1.1 Statement of Research Problem

The mandate of the Niger State Transport Authority (NSTA) established in 1988 is to provide intra-city, inter-city and inter-state transport services. The objective is to ease transportation within urban areas and between rural villages by providing easy, convenient, cheap and reliable transport service to commuters .Overtime, there have been indicators suggesting poor performance of the Agency ,but this requires validation and explanation .For instance ,service schedules of the Agency appear to be seldom followed, fleet utilization rates are declining , waiting times are long and there is lack of responsiveness in the face of growing competition with private and paratransit operators. There has also been a growing concern that buses are simply ineffective to meet daily travel needs.
Many studies of State owned transport agencies are instructive but have shortcomings by failing to relate performance with satisfaction. That is, in the majority of cases, the two issues are treated independent of one another as seen in the works of Ademo (2004),Zainab (2009), Kato (1997) and Adamu (2011) where emphasis is tilted heavily on operational and financial matters. The limited knowledge on mass transit bus performance from both technical and user perception point of view is what calls for new approach to assessment with expanded scope and method. The use of this approach is demonstrated in this research as the contribution to knowledge. The underlying assumption being that there is a direct link between actual service delivery and customer perceptions of services. As observed by Beirao and Sarsfield Cabral (2007), to increase public transport use, the service should be designed and performed in a way that accommodates the levels of services required by customers. That is, to meet potential and present customer requirements, quality investments that really raise the perceived service performance regarding these attributes constitute an important issue.

1.2 Research Questions

What is the performance of the N.S.T.A?

What is the explanation of the performance?

1.3 Aim

The aim of this study is to assess the performance of the Niger State Transport Authority (N.S.T.A) using technical and customer perception parameter with a view to identifying problems and making recommendations.

1.4 Objectives

1. To review the indicators and approaches to the performance measurement of transport service Agencies.
2. To review the operational characteristics of the Niger State Transport Authority.
3. To assess the performance of the Niger State Transport Authority.
4. To provide explanations for the performance and make recommendations.

1.5 Scope and Limitation of the Study

This study focus on the urban bus transport services and is limited to the intra city bus transit system of the Niger State Transport Agency. Its primary focus is on how well service is provided to customers by the NSTA, and how customers perceptions of transit service relates to the existing performance. It focuses only on the intra-city routes plied by the Agency and excludes the intra state, interstate or special services rendered to schools such as federal university of technology Minna and freight services.

1.6 Structure of the Thesis

The Initial section consists of background to the research area, overview about Niger state Transport Authority condition, objective, scope and structure of the thesis. The second section presents related studies regarding customer need and satisfaction in public transport area. The third section presents the research method, respondents, questionnaire, procedure and method of data analysis. The fourth section present result from the statistical analysis. The fifth section present discussion and conclusions drawn from this work, a summary of the contributions, study limitations and a prospect of future research.

Title Page

Cover page

Dedication page

Certification page

Acknowledge page

Table of content

List of Table

List of Figures

List of Plates

Chapter One

Background to the Study

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Statement of Research Problem

1.2 Research Questions

1.3 Aim

1.4 Objectives

1.5 Scope and Limitation of the Study

1.6 Structure of the thesis

Chapter Two

Literature Review

2.0 Introductions

2.1 user satisfaction definition

2.2 Transit performance point of view

2.3 Transit performance perspective

2.4 Transit performance approach

2.5 sourcing performance data and standards

2.6 Transit performance indicators

2.6.1 Service frequency

2.6.2 Service Reliability

2.6.3 Comfort

2.6.4 Cleanliness

2.6.5 Safety and security

2.6.6 Fare

2.6.7 Information

2.6.8 Customer care

2.7 Customer Satisfaction in Transportation Context

2.8 Studies regarding satisfaction in Public Bus Transport

2.9 Recent Studies on Performance Assessment Measures

2.10 The Concept of urban mass transit

2.11 Advantage of urban mass transport

2.12 Urban mass transit situation in Nigeria

2.13 Performance evaluation of the urban mass transit

2.14 Historical Background of the Niger State urban mass transit

2.15 Objectives of the Urban Mass Transit Program

2.16 Operating Characteristics of Niger State urban mass transit

2.17 Routes operated by the N.S.T.A

2.18 The Organizational. Structure of the N.S.T.A

2.19 Other Services offered by the Niger state Transport Authority

2.20 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) A Solution to Urban Mass Transit Problems

2.21 BRT System Performance around the globe

2.22 Travel time and speed

2.23 Reliability

2.24 Image and Identity

2.25 Safety and Security

2.26 Capacity

Chapter Three

3.0 Research Methodology

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Data required and sources

3.3 sample frame and size

3.3 Data collection procedure

3.31 procedures

3.4 Method of data analysis

Chapter Four

4.0 Research Findings

Introduction

4.1 Performance of NSTA by Service Attributes

4.11 Service Frequency

4.12 Service reliability

4.13 Bus Crowding

4.14 Availability of Shelter at bus stops

4.15 Cleanliness of Bus

4.16 Safety Performance

4.17 Personnel Helpfulness

4.18 Bus Maintenance

4.19 Cumulative user Satisfaction results of NSTA services

4.28 Performance ranking of routes by technical assessment

4.3 Determinants of Service Performance

4.31 Service Frequency

4.32 Service Reliability

4.33 Bus crowding

4.34 Bus stop Shelter

4.35 Cleanliness of Buses

4.36 Transit Safety

4.37 Personnel Flelpfulness

4.38 Bus Maintenance

Chapter Five

Recommendations

5.10 Summary of Findings

5.20 Recommendations

5.2.1 Service Frequency

5.2.2 Service Reliability

5.2.3 Bus Crowding

5.2.4 Availability of Shelter at Stops

5.2.5 Cleanliness of Bus

5.2.6 Transit Safety

5.2.7 Personnel Helpfulness

5.2.8 Bus Maintenance

5.30 Future Research

Reference.

• Quality Of Intra Urban Passenger Bus Services
• Assessment Of The Quality Of Urban Transport Services

• Urban and Regional Planning Project Topics and Materials