Robust models for the utilization of public bus transport services in Malaysia

Unless public transportation is efficient, affordable, clean, comfortable and convenient, people would otherwise resort to drive to their destinations. The increased in the number of private vehicles on the road in Malaysia testifies to the preference of driving to work or places of leisure for many reasons. It could also quite easily point to the ailing public transport industry save for a few developed countries that are endowed with an enviable public transport system. The overall improvement of public transportation augmented with selective restrictions of private vehicle use would invariably improve the utilization of public transportation. This article proposes a conceptual model to assess perceived Bus transport utilization. It uses a categorical survey method to identify the preferences of Bus commuters to assess utilization. This conceptual model also allows managers to identify cost effective strategies within the model that are readily implementable within a relatively short duration to improve the utilization. In addition, the model is flexible enough to allow customization by management to improve the utilization within its own set of constraints.