Service Quality Barriers Encountered in Urban Public Transport by People with Disability in South Africa

With rapid urbanisation and population growth, transport equity has become a critical issue, especially when considering the mobility gap among people with disability. Understanding the dynamics between the quality of public transport services and the mobility of people with disability is critical t...

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Main Authors: Babra Duri, Rose Luke
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Social Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/6/366
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author Babra Duri
Rose Luke
author_facet Babra Duri
Rose Luke
author_sort Babra Duri
collection DOAJ
description With rapid urbanisation and population growth, transport equity has become a critical issue, especially when considering the mobility gap among people with disability. Understanding the dynamics between the quality of public transport services and the mobility of people with disability is critical to fostering transport equity and inclusivity. This research investigated service quality barriers encountered by people with disability in the City of Tshwane while navigating the city’s public transport system. A quantitative research method was employed, using a structured questionnaire to collect primary data from people with mobility, vision, and hearing disability. The responses were analysed using descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and multiple comparison tests to uncover trends and differences among the groups. The findings reveal that people with all types of disability experience considerable service quality challenges. Long travel and waiting times are major concerns amongst people with mobility disability, which lead to heightened inconvenience. The research also found a pervasive lack of transport information, which aggravates the difficulties faced by people with disability. Lastly, the absence of announcements of stops further compounds the challenges experienced by people with a vision disability. The study emphasises the need for high quality public transport services that prioritise accessible and inclusive public transport that caters to all. Addressing service quality barriers in public transport promotes participation in socio-economic life among people with disability. This study contributes to the broader goal of transport equity and highlights the importance of inclusive transport policies and the priority areas that require consideration in a typical developing country.
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spelling doaj-art-7116c66b633640a681093fcfa95d62b12025-08-20T03:26:55ZengMDPI AGSocial Sciences2076-07602025-06-0114636610.3390/socsci14060366Service Quality Barriers Encountered in Urban Public Transport by People with Disability in South AfricaBabra Duri0Rose Luke1Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies (Africa), University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2006, South AfricaInstitute of Transport and Logistics Studies (Africa), University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2006, South AfricaWith rapid urbanisation and population growth, transport equity has become a critical issue, especially when considering the mobility gap among people with disability. Understanding the dynamics between the quality of public transport services and the mobility of people with disability is critical to fostering transport equity and inclusivity. This research investigated service quality barriers encountered by people with disability in the City of Tshwane while navigating the city’s public transport system. A quantitative research method was employed, using a structured questionnaire to collect primary data from people with mobility, vision, and hearing disability. The responses were analysed using descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and multiple comparison tests to uncover trends and differences among the groups. The findings reveal that people with all types of disability experience considerable service quality challenges. Long travel and waiting times are major concerns amongst people with mobility disability, which lead to heightened inconvenience. The research also found a pervasive lack of transport information, which aggravates the difficulties faced by people with disability. Lastly, the absence of announcements of stops further compounds the challenges experienced by people with a vision disability. The study emphasises the need for high quality public transport services that prioritise accessible and inclusive public transport that caters to all. Addressing service quality barriers in public transport promotes participation in socio-economic life among people with disability. This study contributes to the broader goal of transport equity and highlights the importance of inclusive transport policies and the priority areas that require consideration in a typical developing country.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/6/366people with disabilitypublic transportservice qualitytransport barriersCity of Tshwaneurban transport
spellingShingle Babra Duri
Rose Luke
Service Quality Barriers Encountered in Urban Public Transport by People with Disability in South Africa
Social Sciences
people with disability
public transport
service quality
transport barriers
City of Tshwane
urban transport
title Service Quality Barriers Encountered in Urban Public Transport by People with Disability in South Africa
title_full Service Quality Barriers Encountered in Urban Public Transport by People with Disability in South Africa
title_fullStr Service Quality Barriers Encountered in Urban Public Transport by People with Disability in South Africa
title_full_unstemmed Service Quality Barriers Encountered in Urban Public Transport by People with Disability in South Africa
title_short Service Quality Barriers Encountered in Urban Public Transport by People with Disability in South Africa
title_sort service quality barriers encountered in urban public transport by people with disability in south africa
topic people with disability
public transport
service quality
transport barriers
City of Tshwane
urban transport
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/6/366
work_keys_str_mv AT babraduri servicequalitybarriersencounteredinurbanpublictransportbypeoplewithdisabilityinsouthafrica
AT roseluke servicequalitybarriersencounteredinurbanpublictransportbypeoplewithdisabilityinsouthafrica