Influence of public transport quality attributes on user satisfaction of different age cohorts

This study developed a multi-group structural equation model to determine the relationship between general satisfaction and quality attributes of public bus transportation, based on the users' perception, and compare the effects of these attributes for different age cohorts. The structural equation model approach allows the analysis of interrelations between quality attributes evaluated in the survey (observed variables) and the interrelations between unobservable variables (latent variables). The three latent variables evaluated in this study were Operational characteristics, Comfort, and User exposure to externalities. The results attest the theory that Operational characteristics have a direct influence on General satisfaction, while Comfort and User exposure to externalities have an indirect influence on satisfaction. The analysis for different age cohorts showed that the importance of indicators within each latent variable is the same, but the impact of Operational characteristics on General satisfaction is higher for Young adults.