50

CHAPTER–II
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF THE STUDY

2.1 INTRODUCTION

The present study has used some concepts to fulfill its objectives. The concepts

used in the study are variables leading to the choice of the bus service, core service

quality, value added service quality, critical service quality, passengers’ satisfaction,

service loyalty and ways to enrich the service quality of public transport. The definitions,

meaning, variables used to measure the above said concepts are discussed in this chapter.

2.2 VARIABLES LEADING TO THE CHOICE OF BUS TRANSPORT

The bus transport is inevitable among the passengers if the travelling distance is

shorter. There are so many alternatives available to bus services. They are auto

rickshaw, share auto and call taxi. The passengers mostly prefer the bus service because

of several reasons. In the present study, the variables leading to the choice of the bus

service are confined to only 12 variables which are drawn from the reviews (Stopher et

al., 200430; Gilbert, 200731; and Vuchic, 200932). These are given in the tables below.

1. Stopher, P.R., Spear, B.D and Sucher, P.O (2004), “Toward the Development of
Measure of Convenience for Travel Modes”, Transportation, 5 (2), pp.16–32.
2. Gilbert, G and Forester, J.F (2007), “The Importance of Attitudes in Decision to Use
Mass Transit”, Transportation, 6(1), pp.321–332.
3. Vuchic, R (2009), “Comparative Analysis and Selection of Transit Modes in Public
Transportation”, Transportation, 7 (3), pp.36–49.
 51

TABLE 2.1
Variables Leading to the Choice of Bus Transport

Sl.No. Variables Sl.No. Variables

1 Access 7 Comfort

2 Fare 8 Waiting Time

3 Number of Bus Stops 9 Availability

4 Speed 10 Safety

5 Frequency of Service 11 Distance to Travel

6 Waiting Time 12 Transit Network

The respondents are asked to rate the above said variables at five point scale

according to the order of importance.

2.3 BUSQUAL AMONG THE PASSENGERS

In the present study, the BUSQUAL have been examined under three important

dimensions namely Core Service Quality (Zeithaml et al., 1990)33; Value Added Service

Quality (Gawhane, 1997)34 and Critical Service Quality (Ostrom and Iaccobucci, 1995)35.

The related variables on the above said dimensions are drawn from the review of past

studies.

4. Zeithaml Valerie, A, Parasuraman, A and Berry, L.L (1990), Delivering Quality

Services: Balancing Passengers’ Perceptions and Expectations, Free Press, New
York
5. Gawhane, S.H. (1997), “Growth Strategy for Survival and Profitability in STUs”,
Indian Journal of Transport Management, 21 (1), p 21.
6. Ostrom, A and Iaccobucci, D (1995), “Consumer trade-offs and the evaluation of
Services”, Journal of Marketing, 59 (1), pp.17–28.
 52

The related variables are presented in the table given below.

TABLE 2.2
Variables in Core Service Quality

Sl.No. Variables Sl.No. Variables

I Tangibles IV Assurance

1. Modern Equipments and Vehicles 1. Safety

2. Appealing Physical Facilities 2. Courteousness with Passengers

3. Appealing Materials 3. Knowledgeable Employees

4. Bus Stop Facilities III Empathy

II Responsiveness 1. Individual Attention

1. Willingness to help Passengers 2. Convenient Operating Hours

2. Prompt Service to Passengers 3. Passengers’ Best Interest at Heart

3. Response to Passengers Request 4. Understanding Specific Needs of

Passengers

4. Instilling Confidence among

Passengers

III Reliability

1. Keeping up the Promise

2. Service Right at First Time

3. Keeping up the Time (Punctuality)

4. Error Free Service

 53

TABLE 2.3
Variables in Value Added Service Quality

Sl.No. Variables Sl.No. Variables

I Comfort and Convenience 3. Neatness and Professionalism

1. Correct Loading 4. Crew Courtesy

2. Better Seating Arrangement IV Service Information

3. Ease of Boarding and Alighting 1. Route Information

4. Ease of Movement 2. Announcement of Stops

5 Quick Service 3. Complaint Redressal

II Safety V Social Responsibility

1. Maintenance of Vehicles 1. Special Trips

2. Probability of Breakdowns 2. Cheaper

3. Probability of Accident 3. Helping Attitude

4. Driving VI Punctuality

III Crew Quality 1. Journey Time

1. Better Crew Attitude 2. Departure and Arrival Time

2. Better Crew Appearance 3. Stops at Regular Intervals

 54

TABLE 2.4
Variables in Critical Service Quality

Sl.No. Variables Sl.No. Variables

I Employees’ Response on Service III Prompt and Solicited Action

Failure

1. Response on Unavailable Service 1. Attention Paid to Passengers

2. Response on Unreasonably Slow 2. Performance Under Adverse

Service Circumstances

3. Response on Other Core Service 3. Behaviour in Context of Cultural

Failures Norms

II Employees’ Response on
Passengers’ Needs and Requests

1. Response on Special Needs of

Passengers

2. Response on Passengers’
Preferences

3. Response on Admitted Passenger

Error

4. Response on Potentially
Disruptive Others

John Disney (1998)36 identified top service quality factors in the quality of

transport services. These are reliability, frequency of services, friendly services, clean

bus interiors, comfort of vehicles, value for money, easy access, reasonable fares and

easy to understand and remember time table.

7. John Disney (1998), “Competing Through Quality in Transport Services”,

Managing Service Quality, 8 (27), pp 112–118.
 55

The service quality of road transport has been measured with the help of the 22

statements related to the given dimensions namely reliability, responsiveness, assurance,

tangibles and empathy by Nambiar, (2001)37.

Ramamoorthy and Ponnuraj (2001)38 used 30 variables related to physical

comfort, time and punctuality, safety, behaviour of the crew and social responsibility to

measure the service quality of bus transport.

Zahoor (2003)39 used 19 variables to evaluate the quality of service in public vs.

private bus operations. The important factors identified by him are comfort and

convenience, safety, reliability, crew quality and service information.

2.4 CUSTOMER VALUE ON SERVICES

Customers’ value on the service is the outcome of comparison between the

customers’ perception on the benefits and the cost of the service they availed (Mishra et

al., 2001)40. The benefits are product, service and company benefits whereas the

8. Vijayalakshmi Nambiar (2001), “A Study of Service Quality of MSRTC as

Perceived by Passengers In and Around Pune”, Indian Journal of Transport
Management, March, pp 199 – 208.
9. Ramamoorthy, K and S. Ponnuraj (2001), “Passenger Perception of Omni
Bus Service–An Analysis”, Indian Journal of Transport Management,
October–November, pp.555–573.
10. Zahoor Ahmed Bhat (2003), “Public Versus Private Bus Operations–An Evaluation
of Quality of Service”, Indian Journal of Transport Management, April-June,
pp.146–167.
11. Mishra, R.K, Yerram Raju, B. Brahmiiah, B. Somayajulu, G (2001), “Report on
Restructuring of Andhra Pradesh Road Transport Corporation”, Indian Journal of
Transport Management, November, pp 24–33.
 56

costs are time, search convenience and psychic costs on the services (Somayajulu,

2003)41.

There are three sources of value namely use, esteem and exchange value. In the

present study, the customer value on services has been measured with the help of the

variables drawn from the reviews (Murugesan and Ramamoorthy, 199642; Nambiar,

200143; Somayajulu, 200244). These are listed in the following Table 2.5.

TABLE 2.5
Variables in Customer Value On Services

Sl.No. Variables Sl.No. Variables

1. Economy of Service 6. Innovative

2. Comfortableness in Service 7. Interior Design

3. Cheaper 8. Opportunity Cost

4. Ambience 9. Value Addition

5. Luxuries

12. Somayajulu, G (2003), “Customer Value Management–A Key to Success in Public

Transport Services”, Indian Journal of Transport Management, January–March,
pp.6-23.
13. Murugesan, R and Ramamoorthy, N.V (1996), “Quality of Services in State
Transport Undertakings–Evaluation and Improvement”, Indian Journal of
Transport Management, July, pp 27–39.
14. Vijayalakshmi Nambiar (2001), “A Study of Service Quality of MSRTC as Perceived by
Passengers In and Around Pune”, Indian Journal of Transport Management, March, pp
87 – 96.
15. Somayajulu, G (2002), “Marketing Strategies for State Transport Undertakings–A
Case Study of APSRTC”, Journal of Institute of Public Enterprise, January–
March, pp 41 – 53.
 57

The respondents are asked to rate the above said variables at five point scale

according to their order of perception.

Customer Preferences

The customer preferences are their level of preferences on the transportation

facilities (Fornell, 1992)45. It shows the heterogeneous or homogeneous preferences

among the customers (Fisk et al., 1993)46. Since the individual preferences are assumed

to be reflected in customers’ expectations and perceptions of service quality, it is

included in the present study.

The variables related to the nature of customer preferences are drawn from the

review of previous studies (Ilgen, 197147; Oliver, 198048; Johnson and Fornell, 199149).

These variables are listed in the given table.

16. Fornell, C (1992), “A National Customer Satisfaction Barometer: The Swedish

Experience”, Journal of Marketing, 56 (January), pp 6 – 21.
17. Fisk, R, Broom, S.W., and Bitner M. J., (1993), “Tracking the Evolution of
Services Marketing”, Journal of Retailing, 69 (1), pp 102 – 117.
18. Ilgen, D.R., (1971), “Satisfaction with Performance as a Function of the Initial
Level of Expectation and the Deviation from Expectation”, Organizational
Behaviour and Human Performance, 6 (1), pp.345–361.
19. Oliver, R.L., (1980), “A Cognitive Model of the Antecedence and Consequences of
Satisfaction Decisions”, Journal of Marketing Research, 17 (2), pp.46–49.
20. Johnson, M.D., and Fornell, C (1991), “A Framework for Comparing Customer
Satisfaction Across Individuals and Product Categories”, Journal of Economic
Psychology, 12 (1), pp.267–286.
 58

TABLE 2.6
Variables in Customer Preferences in Heterogeneous Services

Sl.No. Variables Sl.No. Variables

1. Varieties of Services 4. Discriminatory Pricing Services

2. Innovative Services 5. Comfortable Services

3. Value Added Services 6. Luxurious Services

The respondents are asked to rate the above said six variables at five point scale

according to their order of preferences. If the scores are high, they are highly

heterogeneous whereas the lesser the score indicates the homogeneous services.

Handling of Customer Complaints

Handling of customer complaints on bus services may be related to so many

aspects (Brog, 1996). It may be related to traffic planning (Proussaloglou and

Koppelman, 1989)50, treatment (Edvardsson, 1990)51, technical faults (Edvardsson,

1992)52, Punctuality (Flanagan, 1994)53, information (Blomquist and Jansson, 1994) and

21. Proussaloglou, E.K and Koppelman, S.F (1989), “Use of Travellers’ Attitude in
Bus Service Design”, Transportation Research Record, 12 (1), pp.42–50.
22. Edvardsson, B., (1990), “Management Consulting: Towards a Successful
Relationship”, International Journal of Service Industry Management, 1 (3),
pp.106–117.
23. Edvardsson, B (1992), “Service Breakdowns: A Study of Critical Incidents in a Bus
Transport”, International Journal of Service Industry Management, 3(4),
pp.17–29.
24. Flanagan, J.C (1994), “The Critical Incident Technique”, Psychological Bulletin,
51 (4), pp.327–357.
 59

vehicles (Bo Edvardsson, 1998)54. The relevant variables are drawn from the above said

review of previous studies. Since the quality of customer complaints may have its own

influence on the customer satisfaction on bus services, it is included in the present study.

The variables are listed in the table given below.

TABLE 2.7
Variables in Handling Customer Complaints
Sl.No. Variables Sl.No. Variables

1. Drivers’ Treatment 7. Vehicle

2. Conductors’ Treatment 8. Maintenance
3. Driving 9. Crowding
4. Punctuality 10. Seating
5. Stopping at the Bus Stop 11. Traffic Planning
6. Information 12. Accident Handling

The respondents are asked to rate the above said variables at five point scale on

the basis of occurrence and redressal of the complaints.

Passengers’ Satisfaction

It is defined as an emotional response to the experiences provided by associated

with particular products and services purchased (Yi, 1990)55. There are so many

25. Bo Edvardsson (1998), “Causes of Customer Dissatisfaction–Studies of Public

Transport by the Critical – Incident Method”, Managing Service Quality, 8 (3),
pp.189–197.
26. Yi, Y (1990), “A Critical Review of Consumer Satisfaction”, in Zeithaml, V.A.
(Ed.), Review of Marketing, Vol.3, American Marketing Association, Chicago,
IC, pp.68–123.
 60

empirical evidences available on the measurement of customer satisfaction by the service

performance (Churchill and Superenant, 198256; Anderson and Sullivan, 199357).

It is also an outcome of service quality (Anderson et al., 1994).

In the present study, the passengers’ satisfaction is measured with the help of six

variables which are drawn from the reviews (Collins and Butler, 199558; Friman et. al.,

200159; and Ferguson, 200260). These are given in the table given below.

TABLE 2.8
Variables in Passengers’ Satisfaction

Sl.No. Variables Sl.No. Variables

1. Service Quality 5. Value Added Service

2. Service Frequency 6. Information About Service

3. Service Cost 7. Response on Passengers’ Appeal

4. Timeliness of Service 8. Service Value

The respondents are asked to rate the above said variables at five point scale

according to their level of perception.

27. Churchill, G. A and Superenant, C (1982), “An Investigation Into The Determinants of
Customer Satisfaction”, Journal of Marketing Research, 19 (2), pp.491–504.
28. Anderson, E.W. and Sullivan, M.V. (1993), “The Antecedents and Consequences
of Customers’ Satisfaction for Firms”, Marketing Science, 12 (2), pp.125–143.
29. Collins, N., and Butler, P (1995), “Marketing Public Sector Services: Concepts and
Characteristics”, Journal of Marketing Management, 7 (1), pp 22 – 32.
30. Friman, M., Edvardsson, B and Garling, T (2001), “Frequency of Negative Critical
Incidents and Satisfaction With Public Transport Services”, Journal of Retailing
and Consumer Services, 8 (2), pp 95 – 104.
31. Ferguson, A.F.X.W (2002), “Strategy to Improve Occupancy Rate and Passenger
Satisfaction in Hyderabad City Region”, Report submitted to ARSRTC,
Hyderabad, June.
 61

Service Loyalty Among The Customers

Service loyalty is measured by repurchase intention (Cronin and Taylor, 1992)61.

It is the willingness to pay more and loyalty under increased pricing (Zeithaml et al.,

1996)62. Service loyalty is often incorporated as an ultimate dependent variable in

service quality models (Fornell et al., 1990)63. The variables related to service loyalty in

the present study is measured with the help of previous studies (Parasuraman et al.,

199064; Singh, 199165; and Taylor et al., 199466). These variables are given in Table 2.9.

32. Cronin, J.J., and Taylor, S.A., (1992), “Measuring Service Quality : A
Re-Examination and Extension”, Journal of marketing, 56 (3), pp.55–68.
33. Zeithaml, V.A, Berry, L.A, and Parasuraman, A (1996), “A Behavioural
Consequences of Service Quality”, Journal of Marketing, 60 (2), pp.31–46.
34. Fornell, C., Johnson, M.D., Anderson, E.W., Cha, J., and Bryant, B.E., (1996),
“The American Customer Satisfaction Index: Nature, Purpose And Findings”,
Journal of Marketing, 60 (October), pp.7-18.
35. Parasuraman, A, Berry, L.L, and Zeithaml, V.A (1990), “An Empirical
Examination of Relationships in an Extended Service Quality Model”, MSI
Report, Marketing Science Institute, Cambridge, pp.90–122.
36. Singh, J (1991), “Understanding the Structure of Consumers’ Satisfaction
Evaluations of Service Delivery”, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science,
20 (3), pp.223–244.
37. Taylor, S.A., and Baker, T.L (1994), “An Assessment of The Relationship between
Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction in The Formation of Consumers
Purchase Intention”, Journal of Retailing, 70 (2), pp 163–178.
 62

TABLE 2.9
Variables in Service Loyalty

Sl.No. Variables Sl.No. Variables

1. Say proactive things about the 6. Ready to pay higher price

transport

2. Recommend to others 7. Increase the utilization of bus

service in future

3. Encourage others to have this 8. Feeling if Worthiness

bus service

4. Consider the bus service as 9. Complain the problem to the

my first chance concerned authorities

5. Try to avoid alternatives

The respondents are asked to rate these variables at five point scale according to

their order of acceptance.

Service Adequacy and Service Superiority of Bus Services

The indirect measure of the perceived service quality construct is operationalized

as the difference between the perceived performance and the expectation (Parasuraman et

al., 199467).

· Measure of Service Adequacy (MSA) = P - Ea

· Measure of Service Superiority (MSS) = P – Es

38. Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V.A and Berry, L.L (1994), “Alternative Scales For
Measuring Service Quality: A Comparative Assessment Based on Psychometric
and Diagnostic Criteria”, Journal of Retailing, 70 (3), pp 201–230.
 63

Whereas P – Perception score on Service Performance

Ea – Minimum acceptable level of expected service

Es – Desired level of expected service (Carman, 1990)68

The advantage of using indirect measurements is to find out the short falls which

are required to be improved (Parasuraman et al., 1988)69, and to examine the dynamics of

service quality over time (Parasuraman et al., 1993)70. The item selected to measure the

MSA and MSS in the present study are drawn from reviews (Silcock, 198171; Pullen,

199372; Miller, 199573; Catling, 199674; and Moodie, 199775). These are given in Table

2.10.

39. Carman, J.M (1990), “Consumer Perceptions of Service Quality: An Assessment of

the SERVQUAL Dimensions”, Journal of Retailing, 66 (1), pp.33–55.
40. Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V.A., and Berry, L.L., (1988), “SERVQUAL: A
Multiple Item Scale for Measuring Consumer Perceptions of Service Quality”,
Journal of Retailing, 64 (1), pp.12–40.
41. Parasuraman, A., Berry, L.L., and Zeithaml, V.A., (1993), “Research Note: More
on Improving Service Quality Measurement”, Journal of Retailing, 69 (1),
pp.140–147.
42. Silcock, D.T (1981), “Measuring of Operational Performance for Urban Bus
Services”, Traffic Engineering and Control, 22 (12), pp.645–648.
43. Pullen, W.T (1993), “Definition and Measurement of Quality of Service for Local
Public Transport Management,” Transport Reviews, 13 (3), pp.247–264.
44. Miller, M (1995), “Improving Customer Service and Satisfaction at London
Underground”, Managing Service Quality, 5 (1), pp.26–29.
45. Catling, D (1996), “Increasing the Attractiveness of Light Rail System”, Public
Transport International, 4 (1), pp.60–62.
46. Moodie, P (1997), “A Fresh Approach to Customer Care”, Passenger Rail
Management, November, p 19.
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TABLE 2.10
Variables in Measurement of Service Adequacy and Service Superiority

Sl.No. Variables Sl.No. Variables

I Assurance: V Tangibles:

1. Courtesy of Staff 1. Professional Appearance

2. Knowledgeable Staff 2. Modern Appearance

3. Informative Staff 3. Cleanliness in Bus and Bus Stop

II Empathy: 4. Modern Equipments

1. Caring Fashion VI Comfort:

2. Understanding Needs 1. Availability of Seats

3. Best Interests at Heart 2. Comfortable Seats

III Reliability: 3. Smoothness of Ride

1. Frequency of Service 4. Travelling Time

2. Timely Service VII Connection:

3. Dependability in Handling Service 1. Ease of Access to Home

Problems

4. Performing Services Right at the 2. Ease of Access to Work Place

First Time

IV Responsiveness: 3. Connectivity With Other Mode of

Transport

1. Willingness to Help VIII Convenience:

2. Promptness 1. Ease of Access to Travel

Information

3. Availability of Staff 2. Ease of Buying Tickets

3. Convenient Business Hours

 65

The respondents are asked to rate these above said variables at five point scale on

three dimensions namely perception, tolerable level and expected level.

Market Tool to Improve BUSQUAL

The tools required to improve the service quality of bus transport is essential to

design the service offer in future. The variables related to market tool to improve the

busqual are drawn from the reviews (Banister and Mackett, 1990 76; Vijayaraghavan,

199577; Swaroop, 199678; and Mekoth et al., 200079). These variables are given in table

2.11.

47. Banister, D.J., and Mackett, R.L (1990), “The Mini Bus: Theory and Experience
and their Implications”, Transportation Review, 10 (3), pp.189–214.
48. Vijayaraghavan, T.A.S (1995), “Marketing and Service Imperatives in Transport
Operations”, Indian Journal of Transport Management, Februrary, pp.21–29.
49. Anand Swaroop, B (1996), “An Overview of Marketing–Its Relevance to STUs”,
Indian Journal Transport Management, July–September, pp.63–76.
50. Mekoth, Nandakumar and Nadkarni, S. Savitha (2000), “A Model Mix Between
Main And Large Buses”, Indian Journal of Transport Management, 24 (1),
January, pp.15–21.
 66

TABLE 2.11
Variables Related to Market Tool to Improve Busqual

Sl.No. Variables Sl.No. Variables

1. Service Relevant to Target Users 12. Courteous Employees

2. Personalized Care 13. Connectivity to Other Mode of

Transport

3. Convenient to Access 14. Immediate Response

4. Assistance to Customer 15. Information About Arrivals /

Departures

5. Facilities at Bus Stand / Stations 16. Easy Access to The Customer

6. Connectivity to Other Bus 17. Better Service Than Competitors

Services

7. Understanding Individual Needs 18. Comfortable Travelling Experience

8. Information about the Schedules 19. Knowledgeable Employees

9. Assurance on Every Step of The

Way

10. Convenient Service to Customers

11. Selection of Service

The respondents are asked to rate the variables at five point scale in the order of

importance.