This paper examines the effectiveness of the existing bus services under fully public, semi-public, and fully private operation. Although even in the private cases, fare and schedule etc are under the strict control of public authority, there are many other attributes which can prove the superiority of private operation. A sample survey of bus riders was conducted to evaluate the perceived quality of the services they use classified by providers of the services. Questions asked included those about: (a) comfort and convenience (seating; ease of boarding or alighting; condition and cleanliness of the bus); (b) safety; (c) reliability of departure and arrival times; (d) the quality of the bus crew, which included questions about professionalism, courtesy, honesty, and the ability to perform first aid; (e) complaints procedures; and (f) passenger information. Psychometric analysis of the responses can be used to devise an index of effectiveness for the services produced by an operator. Though the present purpose of such analysis is to show the weakness in monopoly operation and credibility of private providers, this technique will provide the clue for evaluating the individual services or an operator's overall performance. This can also help in formulating the ownership operation structure of the urban bus services industry in India.
Abstract