ASSESSMENT OF URBAN BUS SERVICES

Transportation plays a vital role in the economic and socio-cultural development of any nation. Its cost is a significant variable in the market price of any commodity. Transport needs of major cities in Nigeria now present significant challenges for policy makers as unpredictable shifts in population dynamics in response to the need for employment, housing, and sustenance continues. The expansion of the cities in Nigeria, coupled with increasing urban population, results in greater demand for transport provision. This demand has, however, not always been met, and efforts to provide adequate transport service in the cities, are uncoordinated, and poor (Aderamo 2008).This study sought to assess the performance of State Transport Agencies using technical and customer satisfaction parameter with a view to identifying problems and making recommendations. Data was collected from 216 respondents in Minna metropolis. The respondents rated their agreement with 9 attribute-related statements regarding public transport services .Performance indicators were also assessed based on the parameters in the Public Transit research institute manual and previous research conducted in this field. The result indicate that over all, the transit service performed poorly with a below average score of 5.2 as against an acceptable score of 6.0.The result also shows that only two attributes had an unsatisfactory average score, because the users assign them a mean score rate lower than the sufficiency measure of 6.0. The attributes include availability of shelter at stops and bus crowdedness attribute. The attributes with the highest satisfaction mean scores are safety, bus maintenance and cleanliness. Regarding the variability of user satisfaction, the judgments on perceived quality were not very homogeneous.