Vol. 4 No. 2 (2025): The QUEST: Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development
Articles

Commuter Expectation and Experience with Modernized Public Transport: Toward a Commuter Satisfaction Model

  • Vonnilyn Douthart,
  • Dolores B. Galvez,
  • Damian Jerome Klop
Vonnilyn Douthart
Nueva Vizcaya State University
Dolores B. Galvez
Nueva Vizcaya State University, Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
Bio
Damian Jerome Klop
Shijiazhuang Tiedao University 17 Northeast Second Inner Ring, Shijiazhuang, Hebei P.R.China
Bio
DOI: https://doi.org/10.60008/thequest.v4i2.270

Published 12/30/2025

Keywords

  • Commuter expectation and experience; Modernized public transport; Commuter satisfaction

How to Cite

Douthart, V., Galvez, D., & Klop, D. (2025). Commuter Expectation and Experience with Modernized Public Transport: Toward a Commuter Satisfaction Model . The QUEST: Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.60008/thequest.v4i2.270

Copyright (c) 2026 The QUEST: Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Abstract

        This study examined commuter expectations and experiences of service quality relevant to the Philippine Public Transport Modernization Program, a nationwide initiative aimed at improving the levels of passenger comfort, safety, reliability, stakeholder welfare, and system efficiency in the transport system by utilizing modernized public transport. Employing the SERVQUAL model, the researcher focused on three service quality dimensions — tangibility, empathy, and reliability — to establish whether significant differences exist between commuter expectations and experiences. The adopted mixed-methods research design incorporated quantitative and qualitative approaches. A validated survey questionnaire was used to collect data from 200 commuter respondents with different age brackets who have experienced riding modernized public transport serving the Ifugao–Nueva Vizcaya route. Additionally, key informant interviews were conducted among passengers who have not yet utilized modernized public transport, and with drivers of modernized public units. Descriptive statistics and paired sample t-test with Cohen's d were employed to analyze and compare differences between expected and experienced service qualities. Key findings reveal that commuters reported high levels of expectation and satisfaction; however, there was a significant difference across the three dimensions, with the largest difference in tangibility and the least in reliability. The results highlight the need to enhance tangibility through improved vehicle aesthetics and accessibility, empathy through greater convenience, and reliability through increased operational dependability, efficient payment systems, and service availability. 

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