Modelling elderly users’ perceived level of satisfaction with bus transit service: A case study of Patna city

Abstract

Participating in activities can significantly enhance the life satisfaction of older adults, aged 60 and above. Limited access to transportation can have several negative effects on older adults. The present-day public transit system primarily serves young and middle-aged individuals, which results in a lack of comfort and safety for the elderly. This study aims to model elderly users’ perceived level of satisfaction with bus transit service using the ordered probit model. The study area for our research is the city of Patna, which is the capital of Bihar, India. An extensive perception survey of 416 elderly users populates the database for the present study. According to model estimation results, increasing the number of seats reserved for the elderly and improving the condition of bus stops will increase the perceived level of satisfaction and will lead to attract more elderly passengers to bus transit service. Marginal effects were calculated to evaluate the impact of each independent variable on the perceived level of satisfaction. The overall prediction success rate is 60%. The result of the study will be helpful in better understanding the elderly users’ perception of bus transit service and accordingly will be helpful in planning and management of the bus transit service to meet the expectations of the elderly.