Examining bus service quality among clusters of commuters: the case of Maputo Metropolitan Area, Mozambique
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
2025
Subject Area
place - africa, place - urban, mode - bus, planning - service improvement, planning - service quality, planning - surveys, infrastructure - bus/tram lane, operations - frequency, ridership - commuting
Keywords
Commuters, public transport, Maputo city, bus, service quality
Abstract
The Maputo Metropolitan Area's bus transport service is comprised of both formal and informal operations, characterized by declined service quality. To improve service quality, the Maputo Metropolitan Transport Agency is transitioning to formal operations. The study aims to determine who experiences substandard bus service and where, to inform targeted actions. Data from 8,095 bus users were analysed using cluster analysis, Sankey diagrams, and multicriteria analysis, revealing four distinct behavioural clusters (C1–C4). C1 (Non-frequent-early evening) and C4 (Non-frequent-early morning) commuters experience low and very low service quality, respectively, needing increased bus frequency and easy-to-board buses. C2 (Non-frequent-daytime) commuters enjoy high service quality but could benefit from dedicated bus lanes to further improve frequency and convenience. C3 (Frequent-short travel time) commuters experience very high service quality but require direct bus lines from the suburbs to the CBD to reduce travel costs. The study findings form a basis for targeted bus service improvements.
Rights
Permission to publish the abstract has been given by Taylor&Francis, copyright remains with them.
Recommended Citation
Mendiate, C. J., Nkurunziza, A., Tembe, A., Bitangaza, M., & Matos, A. (2025). Examining bus service quality among clusters of commuters: the case of Maputo Metropolitan Area, Mozambique. Transportation Planning and Technology, 48(8), 1675-1692.
