Bus transport service in Sri Lanka: a perception of users

Abstract

Public transport ridership has experienced a consistent decrease in the recent past, with a growing number of individuals switching to private vehicles, leading to worsened levels of traffic congestion, road accidents, environmental pollution, and related issues. The objectives of this research are to (a) identify present issues in bus transport service quality, (b) identify the key issues contributing to the decline in bus ridership, and (c) suggest methods to increase ridership to the bus system by collection perceptions of users (passengers, operators, and private vehicle drivers) via a face-to-face interview using a structured questionnaire. This is mainly focused on attracting private vehicle users into public bus transportation and sustaining the bus industry with its current passengers and required growth. Research was conducted in a Colombo suburban area identifying key factors impacting bus desirability such as safety, comfort, driver behavior, noise, speed, and cost-efficiency. Data collected via on-site observations, and surveys which were analyzed using analytical tools to determine the extent to which the aforementioned factors impact the attractiveness of bus transportation in the present context.