Investigating Passenger Satisfaction With Public Bus Transport Services in Johor Bahru, Malaysia

ABSTRACT

Rapid urban growth in Johor Bahru has increased traffic congestion and placed considerable pressure on the city's transportation infrastructure, highlighting the need to improve public bus services. This study aims to examine passengers' perceptions of public bus service quality in Johor Bahru by focusing on three key service quality dimensions: punctuality, safety, and comfort. A quantitative cross‐sectional survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire adapted from previous studies and administered to passengers using Public Bus Johor Bahru services at Larkin Sentral, Masai, and Pasir Gudang bus stations. Respondents were selected using convenience sampling. Before the main survey, the questionnaire was pre‐tested with 30 public bus users to assess the clarity and suitability of the items. The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, with values ranging from 0.84 to 0.88, indicating acceptable internal consistency across the four constructs. A total of 202 questionnaires were distributed, of which 100 complete questionnaires were retained for analysis. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and reliability analysis in IBM SPSS Statistics Version 31. The findings showed that respondents generally had favorable perceptions of safety, while perceptions of punctuality were more mixed, particularly regarding the consistency of on‐time bus arrivals. Comfort‐related aspects, including cleanliness, seating availability, and air quality, received moderate levels of satisfaction. These findings indicate that improvements in service punctuality and passenger comfort are needed to enhance the quality of Public Bus Johor Bahru services. Practically, the findings can assist public transport operators and relevant authorities in identifying priority areas for service improvement and enhancing passengers' experiences with public bus services in Johor Bahru.