Assessment of customers’ satisfaction for public transport services in Rwanda

Abstract

Satisfaction is one of the key factors which influences customer loyalty. We assume that the satisfied customer will be willing to use the same service provider again. Kigali public transports system has undergone different reforms with aim to improve the public transports services provision and align the public transport services to demand as the city is growing very fast. The aim of this study is to assess the user’s satisfaction for public transport in the city of Kigali. The study used customer satisfaction survey and collected data from 400 public transport users in total taken from 4 zones proportional to public transport users in the City of Kigali. To achieve the goal, two types of analysis are used. The method of factor analysis and the method Varimax were utilized to categorize variables according to their mutual relations and the model was validated using the structural equation modeling method. Results of this study find that the satisfaction for public transport users is highly affected by Logistic parameters than Service. It was found that on average the increase in service by a value equals to one unit of its standard deviation satisfaction are expected to increase by a value equals to 0.34 units of its standard deviation holding all other relevant variables constant. In the same way, if logistic parameters increase by a value equals one unit of its standard deviation, satisfaction is expected to increase by 0.57 units of its standard deviations on average holding all other relevant variables constant. The study concludes that althought the satisfaction of users of public transports is mainly affected by the “logistic parameters in structure equation modelling but individual opinions expressed through attributes show that satisfied rates are very low comparing to those of very dissatisfied combined with dissatified. In this regard, Bus frequency and Service punctuality have higher rate of dissatisfaction and hence are critical for the public transport in terms of service provided.