Modelling the level of service of public transport - as a case study along Colombo – Galle buses

Abstract

Even-though Public Transport (PT) was the most common (60%) mode of transport in Sri Lanka, people are shifting from PT to private vehicles during last few years. That has created a significant traffic congestion on roads which is one of the critical issues in urban roads in Sri Lanka. Improving PT service quality and promoting PT among people would be one solution. The existing service quality of PT should be identified first and expected improvements should be captured. Many researchers have identified “Level of Service (LOS)” as an efficient tool to measure PT service quality [1]. Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual highlights the importance of user’s perception for determining level of service [2]. This research attempt to quantify the existing LOS of PT based on bus passengers’ opinion gathered through a questionnaire survey from route between Galle to Colombo. From the literature review, the study identified around 15 factors which affect the LOS of PT and incorporated them into the survey.