SINGAPORE: Singaporeans are less satisfied with the
public transport service compared to a year ago, according to the
latest results from the 2012 second quarter Customer Satisfaction
Index of Singapore (CSISG).
Some 2,300 people were surveyed on their public transport
experiences by the Institute of Service Excellence at Singapore
Management University (ISES) between April and June 2012.
The study showed that commuters had significantly lower perceptions
of quality in public buses and the MRT system.
Compared to 2011, commuters also had significantly higher
expectation of taxi services this year but did not experience any
improvements.
The MRT sub-sector suffered the largest drop in satisfaction,
falling by nearly nine per cent to about 62 points.
Public buses did not fare better, falling about seven per cent to
61.6 points.
ISES Academic Director Marcus Lee said the scores are far from the
national average for satisfaction levels, which is close to
70.
"Our satisfaction ratings are on a 0 to 100 scale. To give you some
context, a company known for very good service like a very good
hotel will score in the 80s," he said.
"The MRT system and buses are scoring in the low 60s. The national
average is close to 70, so we are very far from the average
satisfaction level in Singapore."
Assistant Professor Lee added: "What we found was that customer
expectations have not changed year-on-year. Despite all that has
happened, people still expect the same level of service quality, or
commuting experience from the operators.
"But what has happened is that perceptions of what they're
receiving has dropped significantly from the previous year."
Assistant Professor Lee said this has led to worsening customer
satisfaction.
Bus arrival frequencies and bus punctuality continued to be rated
the poorest among all factors.
The widening gaps between expectations and perceptions of quality
contributed to the significant decline in satisfaction.
The study also found commuters had a significantly higher
expectation of Singapore's taxi service, possibly due to the fare
hikes in December last year.
However, commuters'
perceptions of taxis' quality level did not change.
Observers say operators have to work harder to raise satisfaction
levels, but commuters' expectations also need to be
realistic.
Chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport
Cedric Foo said: "In any service offering, expectations are not a
bad thing. For Singapore, which is famed for having efficient
infrastructure, I would not fault commuters to have high
expectations.
"However, their expectations should be realistic, because it is not
possible for every single bus to be prompt, because sometimes
traffic condition or weather condition prevent it to be so. By and
large, we should work towards a level of service that is comparable
or exceed other global cities in a realistic manner."
As for train services, Mr Foo said the Committee of Inquiry's
report into last December's breakdowns has spelt out measures to
improve service reliability.
Mr Foo said that if operators work diligently on those measures, he
is confident that satisfaction levels will go up.
Satisfaction levels with budget airlines also saw a drop of about 3
per cent.
Overall, the transport and logistics sector saw customer
satisfaction dropping to 68.3 points, a 2.4 per cent decline
compared to last year.
The CSISG also surveyed customer satisfaction in the public and
private education sectors.
Satisfaction in the public education sector fell by 4 per cent to
67.5 points, while the private education sector's fell by 7.4 per
cent to 69 points.
The survey comprised a total of 11,807 responses -- including the
2,300 surveyed on public transportation -- about customer
experiences in the public education, private education and
transport and logistics sectors.