An analysis of the quality of public transport in Johannesburg, South Africa using an adapted SERVQUAL model

Public transport services are generally regarded as being of low quality in many developing cities, with Johannesburg being a typical example of a city with few government funded public transportation services and relatively low levels of mobility and accessibility. The South African government's stated aims for public transport are to achieve large scale modal shift to public transport and more environmentally friendly modes of transport. Using the SERVQUAL model, this study aims to measure the service quality of the majority of public transport modes by comparing commuter's perceptions of the current service levels with their expectations to determine service gaps where interventions are required. The results reflect that safety concerns, particularly regarding protection from crime, and maintenance, particularly in as it affects the reliability of the service are concerns across most modes of transport. Although commuters regard the services as relatively affordable, this is insufficient to attract customers and reduce car ownership aspirations. Concerns related to addressing the mobility and accessibility needs of commuters in the off-peak, keeping commuters informed and training staff to be willing to assist passengers are likely to impact the willingness to remain on public transport and even attract new users. This research is of value to transport service providers in understanding the gaps in and requirements of their service provision. To policy makers it highlights the dissatisfaction in the current levels of public transport service, as well as providing some indication of areas in which future interventions can be directed.