Enhancing service quality of rural public transport during the COVID-19 pandemic: a novel fuzzy approach

In order to encourage the use of public transportation, it is necessary to make it more appealing to commuters by conducting frequent Service Quality (SQ) evaluations and modifications. Understanding passengers’ expectations of public transportation are important, and evaluating the SQ is an essential tool for assessing the overall performance of the public transportation system. The purpose of the present study was to examine the expectations and perceptions of core passengers regarding SQ in public bus transportation. By surveying 598 passengers in rural public transportation in India, the study results are illustrated and further discussed to guide possible bus SQ improvements in rural areas. In addition, the impact of these expectations and perceptions on satisfaction levels of rural public bus transportation services are explored by applying the Interval-Valued Pythagorean Fuzzy (IVPF). The outcomes of the survey indicated significant disparities among expectations and perceptions of passengers, as well as widespread dissatisfaction with the delivery of bus services in rural areas as a whole. The dependability and adaptiveness of the bus service have been critical in describing the overall quality of bus services in rural areas, and best practices from around the world were used to develop a set of recommendations for transportation operators and local officials.