Abstract:
Formal bus and rail operating companies routinely undertake passenger satisfaction
surveys to inform service improvement and business strategies. Informal public transport
vehicle owners or owner associations seldom, if ever, administer such surveys.
Consequently, less is known about informal public transport passenger satisfaction than
formal public transport passenger satisfaction. This paper reports the findings of an
(n=7 407) informal public transport passenger satisfaction survey administered in five West
and Southern African cities. A standardised questionnaire enabled comparisons across
cities. Satisfaction with various attributes of informal public transport service was analysed,
finding that, in general, IPT services are negatively perceived by passengers in
Sub-Saharan Africa, but that perceptions vary across cities. The highest rated service
attribute was found to be service coverage, and the lowest, vehicle comfort. While the five
case cities have similarities in organisation and regulation, they also have notable
differences. Relationships between passenger satisfaction and variations in operations
and regulations were explored, finding that better treated drivers provide better quality
services. It is therefore recommended that strategies that define acceptable driver labour
relations, and that advance vehicle crew working conditions, should form an important part
of informal public transport improvement policies.
