Temporal and spatial variability of determinants of satisfaction with public transport in Sweden

Abstract: Measuring and analysing satisfaction with public transport services facilitates service performance monitoring, market analysis, benchmarking and the identification of priority areas. The systematic and regular collection of information concerning satisfaction enables to investigate how passengers’ satisfaction as well as its determinants changes over time and space. These changes may be driven by changes in service quality or shifts in passengers’ expectations and preferences. This study analyses how satisfaction with public transport and its determinants evolved over time (in the years 2001-2013) and across space (in 5 county-regions) in Sweden. The determinants of satisfaction are identified based on a factor analysis and the estimation of multivariate satisfaction regression models. The superposition of the findings culminates in two dynamic passenger satisfaction priority maps which allow identifying priority areas based on observed trends in satisfaction with quality of service attributes and their respective importance. The deterioration of Overall Satisfaction with public transport in Sweden in recent years is driven by a decrease in satisfaction with Customer interface and Length of Trip Time. These two service aspects as well as Operation and Network were found key determinants of Overall Satisfaction which users from most of the county-regions consistently rate among the least satisfactory. The results of this thesis are instrumental in supporting service providers in designing measures that will foster satisfaction in the future.