SERVICE STANDARDS Service quality,

SERVICE STANDARDS
Service quality, embracing reliability, punctuality, safety, convenience, comfort and security, should be the first responsibility of a transport undertaking to its customers. Standards are often difficult to define and measure; they vary considerably from one country to another, as well as over time, as do opinions as to what is satisfactory and what is not. It is therefore impossible to specify standards which arc universally acceptable. Achievable standards arc constrained by what users can afford or arc willing to pay for, and as discussed in previous chapters, different standards are demanded by users at different income levels. However, it is clear from comments in the media and elsewhere that there is general public dissatisfaction in many developing countries with the quality of public transport services. Another indication of the perceived quality of service is the often considerable extent to which organisations find it necessary to operate personnel transport on their own account, suggesting that many users regard public services as inadequate for their requirements.
RELIABILITY AND PUNCTUALITY
Reliability is an important element of service quality, and where users have a choice, has a strong influence on demand; when services become unreliable, some passengers are lost who are never regained. There are several aspects of reliability: most fundamental is whether a particular scheduled service operates at all, and if it does, whether it operates according to scheduled departure and arrival times. Also important is reliability on the road; frequent vehicle breakdowns detract considerably from service quality. Where services are operated to a timetable, passengers' expectations with regard to punctuality vary considerably; some expect to have to wait a considerable time for a bus. regarding this as normal, and may not even be aware of scheduled departure times or understand the concept of scheduling. In some countries it is usual for long distance passengers, particularly those living in rural areas who travel infrequently, when they wish to travel, merely to go to the nearest point where they may join the bus, and wait until one arrives; this may be several hours later. However, most passengers, particularly those using urban services, are becoming increasingly conscious of waiting times, and arc dissatisfied