Publications

Abstract : The unreliable public transport services of the world have caused dissatisfaction among its commuters. In Malaysia, despite the hefty government subsidy, only 16% of all commuters use the public transport (Government’s Performance Management and Delivery Unit, 2011). The increase in the use of private vehicles has caused road congestion and air pollution. The harmful pollutants from vehicular emission significantly impact human health and chronic diseases. This conceptual paper draws upon literature in service marketing, consumer behaviour and social cognitive theories, and the input from the experts of a public bus company. The paper suggests a flexible bus utility model that will be able to meet the variation of demand - in order to fill the gaps between service expectations, perception and satisfaction of bus commuters - to sustain and promote ridership. The bus utility model offers a likely solution to enhance bus ridership and reduce environmental emissions caused by the heavy reliance on private vehicles. The bus utility model may be customized to benefit other developing countries with similar low ridership.