Identify the causes for the rejection of public transport service in Gampaha district: a study on the level of perception of private vehicle users

Abstract

People frequently use private vehicles because they are dissatisfied with the services provided by public transportation in various regions of the world. Understanding the satisfaction of regular private vehicle users is critical if we are to understand their needs and preferences for public transportation and encourage them to make the modal switch. As the main objective the study aims to identify the causes for the rejection of public transport services in Gampaha district based on the level of perception of private vehicle users. Based on these objectives, and using the SERVQUAL model, the independent variables are identified as rejection causes following quality and demographic attributes and the dependent variable is the rejection of PT by private vehicle users. The research is followed by the quantitative approach and convenient sampling method where the data collection involved 389 respondents. The primary research objective is attained through data analysis by identifying and statistically proving the service quality attribute and demographic characteristics-based elements that influence PT rejection. And it has been statistically proven that each of these criteria contributes separately and positively to explaining the total rejection. Deeper into the study, present challenges in the PT system, strategies to persuade PV users to switch modes, and recommendations to improve PT performance are explained.