ABSTRACT
Regardless of the vital role that intra urban transportation play in any urban area, their services
are frequently insufficient to meet passengers demand and services for their daily commuting.
This study assesses the quality of intra urban passenger bus services in Zaria urban area, Nigeria,
taking into recognition the perception of passengers. The specific objectives were to map the
area coverage and route of intra urban passenger bus services, estimate the average walking
distance, waiting time, passenger‟s access to areas of bus pick up and alight points, determine the
passenger bus service quality attributes that influence passenger satisfaction and transportation
problems encountered by passengers and investigate the passengers‟ perception on the quality of
bus services in the study area. A purposive sampling technique was used in the administration of
questionnaire to 384 passengers. A five-point Likert scale with “strongly agree” equal 5, “agree”
equal 4, “undecided” equal 3, “disagree” equal 2, and “strongly disagree” equal 1 was used in the
rating. Maps, descriptive statistics, tables, graphs and percentage analysis were used to
summarize the data collected. This study revealed that majority of the passengers (74.5%) walk
within the range of 1-400 metres to access a bus, and a total of 73.5% of the passengers waited
between 1 - 20 minutes before the arrival of a bus, while 44.5% of the passengers walk to their
nearest bus pick up and alight point. Furthermore, the study revealed that passengers showed
satisfaction with transport price with a mean of (3.4), and were undecided on the sufficiency of
buses and frequency of bus services with a mean of (3.0), resulting to the conclusion that
passengers of public bus transport are not satisfied with the services provided in Zaria urban area
of Kaduna state. The study therefore recommends “quality indicators” for public bus transport to
be used to benchmark high quality
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Title Page - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .. i
Declaration - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . ii
Certification - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..iii
Dedication - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . iv
Acknowledgement - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .. v
Abstract - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .. vi
Table of contents - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .. vii
List of tables - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - xii
List of figures - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - xiii
List of plate - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . xiv
CHAPTER ONE: NTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 1
1.2 Statement of the Research Problem - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 4
1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6
1.4 Scope of the Study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .. 6
1.5 Significance of the Study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 7
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Conceptual Framework - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 8
2.1.1 Public Transportation - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8
2.1.2 Bus (Motorbus) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 8
2.1.3 Passenger - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 8
2.1.4 Types of bus routes - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 8
2.1.5 Bus Stop Location - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .. 9
2.2 Service Quality Indices - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 11
2.2.1 Service Quality and Measurement - - - - - - - - - - - - - 12
2.2.2 Level of Service Concept - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 14
2.2.2.1 Level of Service Definitions - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .. 15
2.2.3 Quality Loop - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 17
2.2.3.1 Quality Gaps - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 18
2.2.4 Satisfaction and Service Quality Dimensions - - - - - - - - - - 19
2.3 Relevance of Public Bus Transport - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 20
2.4 Sustainable Urban Transport - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 22
2.4.1 Push and pull approach - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 23
2.5 Benefits of Improved Bus Service - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 24
2.5.1 System benefits - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .. 24
2.5.2 Community Benefits - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 24
CHAPTER THREE: THE STUDY AREA AND METHODOLOGY
3.1 The Study Area - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 26
3.1.1 Physical Setting of the Study Area - - - - - - - - - - - - - .. 26
3.1.1.1 Geographical Location of the Study Area - - - - - - - - - - - 26
3.1.1.2 Drainage - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 26
3.1.1.3 Physical Form of Zaria urban area - - - - - - - - - - - - - .. 26
3.1.1.4 Climate - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 27
3.1.1.5 Population - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 27
3.2 Methodology - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 29
3.2.1 Reconnaissance Survey - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 29
3.2.2 Types of data utilized - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 29
3.2.3 Sources of Data - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 29
3.2.3.1 Primary sources - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 29
3.2.3.2 Secondary sources - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 30
3.3 Sample Size and Sampling Techniques - - - - - - - - - - - - - 30
3.3.1 Sampling Size - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 30
3.3.2 Sampling Techniques - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 34
3.4 Data Analysis - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .. 34
CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION OF RESULTS AND DISCUSSION OF
FINDINGS
4.1 Introduction - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 37
4.2 The Socio – Economic Characteristics of Respondents - - - - - - - .. 37
4.2.1 Gender distribution of the respondents - - - - - - - - - - - - . 37
4.2.2 Age distribution of the respondents - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 38
4.2.3 Occupation of the respondents - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 39
4.2.4 Respondents level of education - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 40
4.2.5 Monthly Income of Respondents - - - - - - - - - - - - - .. 41
4.3 Coverage Area and Route of Intra Urban Passenger Bus Services - - - - . 42
4.3.1 Existing routes and stops in Zaria urban area - - - - - - - - - - . 44
4.4 The Walking Distance, Waiting Time And Passenger’s Access to Bus Pick Up and
Alight Point - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 48
4.4.1 Passengers‟ walking distance to bus pick up and alight points - - - - - - . 48
4.4.2 Passengers‟ waiting time at bus pick up and alight points - - - - - - - .. 50
4.4.3 Passengers access to bus pick up and alight points - - - - - - - - - . 52
4.5 Commutter Bus Service Quality Attributes Measures that Influence Passenger
Satisfaction - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 54
4.5.1 Transportation problems encountered by passenger bus users in Zaria urban area - 56
4.6 Passenger’s Perception On The Quality Of Bus Services In Zaria Urban Area - . 60
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION
5.1 Summary of Findings - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 63
5.2 Recommendations - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .. 64
5.3 Conclusion - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 67
REFERENCES - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 68
APPENDIX 1: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .. 75
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