Assessment of Perceived Service Quality of Launch Services In Dhaka-Barishal Route

Abstract

The transportation sector of Bangladesh has been gaining much interest over the last few decades. Inland water transport is a high-demand mode of public transportation in Bangladesh due to its numerous rivers. Launch transport service plays a crucial role in connecting various parts of the country, especially in the southern region. Until recently before constructing the Padma Bridge the water route was the only option for travelers, which led to the deterioration of service quality of inland launch transport services. Despite its importance, there is limited research on the perceived service quality of the inland water transport system in Bangladesh. This study aims to fill this research gap by investigating the perceived service quality of the inland water transport system, specifically on the Dhaka to Barishal route. Data was collected from 260 randomly selected passengers who used this transportation mode. It was acquired through interviews with the use of a questionnaire survey based on literature review, local context and pilot survey interview. The collected data was analyzed using count data model, which is a statistical model commonly used in transportation research. The independent variables are formed from the socio-economic and demographic characteristics, travel characteristics and travel experiences of the respondents. Dependent variable i.e. perceived service quality, which will be developed from the questionnaire related to comfort, punctuality, cleanliness, safety, staff characteristics, harassment, food quality and medical facilities of the service. The findings of this research provide a detailed knowledge of the perceived service quality of Bangladesh's inland water transport system where the Dhaka-Barishal route has been selected as a case study. This result can help to improve the service quality by sorting out the main factors affecting the various components of the service quality and aid policymakers to make policies and take necessary steps to meet the needs of the passengers.