QUALITY ASSESSMENT IN URBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT

The performance of a transport service is measured by its quality attribute, which is the most synthetic and comprehensive indicator. However, it is difficult to identify this service quality attribute because it involves the various customer perceptions and it may be influenced by the passengers' preferences or by the travel behavior corresponding to a certain social category. The modal split of passenger transport is also influenced by the quality of supplied services which establishes a market share for the transport mode analyzed, in this case the urban public transport. The present paper aims to identify specific indicators for assessing the quality of urban public transport services, and to characterize the performance of the transport supply. It is well-known that a quality service guarantees the success of a public transport operator, with direct implications on user behavior. A case study was carried out, highlighting the compliance of the public transport operator in Bucharest with the traffic program, and an indicator of travel time accuracy was established. Conclusions are formulated in order to improve service quality and, in this way, to increase the attractiveness of urban public transport and the quality of life.