A comparative MADM approach for prioritizing factors influencing service quality of Intermediate Public Transport as access mode to metro stations in Delhi, India

Intermediate Public Transport (IPT) modes constitute a significant share as access modes to main haul transit systems in major Indian cities. This study employs a user perception-based approach to prioritize essential attributes affecting service quality of IPT access modes to metro stations. Face-to-face user interviews were conducted using smart tablets at entrance/departure gates and metro platforms in Delhi, India. User responses concerning the importance of 18 identified IPT service attributes were collected on a six-point Likert-type rating scale. The database was analyzed by three multi-attribute decision-making techniques, Relative to an Identified Distribution Integral Transformation, Grey Relational Analysis and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution to obtain user priority-based rankings of attributes. Spearman's rank-order correlation analysis was performed to check the variations in attribute rankings derived from the three methods. The coefficients indicated consistency in the attribute rankings and a positive relationship among the ranking methods. The research findings indicated that the users perceived the qualitative and design-related attributes of IPT modes to be highly important and need improvement on top priority. These outcomes can aid transportation planners and policymakers in devising rational policies dedicated toward service quality improvement of IPT access modes in developing countries like India.