Gender and Age Do Matter: Exploring the Effect of Passengers’ Gender and Age on the Perception of Light Rail Transit Service Quality in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Ahmad Nazrul Hakimi Ibrahim, Muhamad Nazri Borhan, Nur Izzi Md. Yusoff, Amiruddin Ismail, Muhamad Razuhanafi Mat Yazid, Nor Aznirahani Mhd Yunin and Sotaro Yukawa
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Ahmad Nazrul Hakimi Ibrahim: Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Malaysia
Muhamad Nazri Borhan: Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Malaysia
Nur Izzi Md. Yusoff: Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Malaysia
Amiruddin Ismail: Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Malaysia
Muhamad Razuhanafi Mat Yazid: Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Malaysia
Nor Aznirahani Mhd Yunin: Road Traffic and Infrastructure Unit (RTI), Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS), Taman Kajang Sentral, Kajang 43000, Malaysia
Sotaro Yukawa: Department of Economics, Osaka University of Commerce, Mikuriyasakae-machi, Higashiosaka-shi, Osaka 577-8505, Japan

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 2, 1-18

Abstract: Light rail transit (LRT) is a sustainable transportation mode that ensures sustainable environmental, economic, and social development. Generally, the rate of public transportation usage in many parts of the world remains low compared to private vehicles. There is a need to understand passengers’ perception of public transportation service quality to enhance passenger satisfaction and increase ridership. Thus, this study used the Kuala Lumpur LRT service as a case study to investigate the effect of a passenger’s gender and age on their perception of the LRT service quality and their overall satisfaction. This survey involved 417 respondents. The outcome of factor analysis indicated that eight factors—i.e., signage, comfort, speediness, safety, ticketing service, facilities, staff service, and provision of information—influenced passenger satisfaction. The results of the Mann–Whitney U test and Kruskal–Wallis test indicated that the factors influencing passenger satisfaction significantly varied across a passenger’s gender and age. A more in-depth and comprehensive analysis using the ordered logit model and segmentation approach proved that provision of information, comfort, staff service, and facilities were critical determiners of passenger satisfaction in most segments. Safety factors and ticketing services had no impact on overall passenger satisfaction. The findings of this research could help LRT service providers, researchers, and policymakers formulate effective strategies for enhancing passenger satisfaction and increase the ridership for LRT services.

Keywords: gender; light rail transit; public transportation; satisfaction; service quality; socio-demographic characteristic (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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