Predictors of passengers’ satisfaction with long-distance coach liners in South Africa

Abstract

Background: Long-distance coach liner bus transportation forms an important economic sector in South Africa as it contributes to the gross domestic product (GDP) and employment, and significantly impacts the daily life activities of many people. While this is commendable, there have been reports relating to inefficiency, reliability (late arrivals and departure times) and safety concerns. These concerns have the potential to negatively impact on passengers’ satisfaction.

Aim: No South African investigative research study could be found on the predictors of passengers’ satisfaction with long-distance coach liners. This study was conducted to identify predictors of passengers’ satisfaction with long-distance coach liners in South Africa.

Setting: The target respondents were passengers who recently travelled on a long-distance coach liner in South Africa. The potential respondent had to be at least 18 years of age.

Methods: Primary data were collected using an online survey, and respondents recruited through convenience and snowball sampling. Of the 409 questionnaires received, 399 useful questionnaires were included in the data analysis.

Results: The results of the study indicate that peace of mind (β = 0.552, p = 0.000) and efficiency (β = 0.455, p = 0.000) have a predictive power on passengers’ satisfaction.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that when there is an improvement in peace of mind and/or efficiency, passengers’ satisfaction will also improve. It is thus recommended that operators/managers of long-distance coach liners prioritise the elements that contribute to peace of mind at all touchpoints (e.g. safety, security, privacy, professionalism of drivers) and efficiency in delivering services to passengers (e.g. reliability and punctuality).