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Transit service quality analysis using cluster analysis and decision trees: a step forward to personalized marketing in public transportation

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Abstract

A transit service quality study based on cluster analysis was performed to extract detailed customer profiles sharing similar appraisals concerning the service. This approach made it possible to detect specific requirements and needs regarding the quality of service and to personalize the marketing strategy. Data from various customer satisfaction surveys conducted by the Transport Consortium of Granada (Spain) were analyzed to distinguish these groups; a decision tree methodology was used to identify the most important service quality attributes influencing passengers’ overall evaluations. Cluster analysis identified four groups of passengers. Comparisons using decision trees among the overall sample of all users and the different groups of passengers identified by cluster analysis led to the discovery of differences in the key attributes encompassed by perceived quality.

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Acknowledgments

The authors also acknowledge the Granada Consorcio de Transportes for making the data set available for this study. Griselda López wishes to express her acknowledgement to the regional ministry of Economy, Innovation and Science of the regional government of Andalusia (Spain) for their scholarship to train teachers and researchers in Deficit Areas. Rocío de Oña wishes to express her acknowledgement to the regional ministry of Economy, Innovation and Science of the regional government of Andalusia (Spain) for the Excellence Research Project denominated “Q-METROBUS-Quality of service indicator for METROpolitan public BUS transport services”, co-funded with Feder.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. TRYSE Research Group, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Granada, ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos, c/Severo Ochoa, s/n, 18071, Granada, Spain

    Juan de Oña, Rocío de Oña & Griselda López

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  1. Juan de Oña
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  2. Rocío de Oña
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  3. Griselda López
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Correspondence to Rocío de Oña.

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de Oña, J., de Oña, R. & López, G. Transit service quality analysis using cluster analysis and decision trees: a step forward to personalized marketing in public transportation. Transportation 43, 725–747 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-015-9615-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-015-9615-0

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