Electric commuter train or commuter rail is a rider rail conveyance service between a metropolis centre and commuter towns that draw big Numberss of people who travel on a day-to-day footing. Commuter trains are normally optimized for maximal rider volume, in most instances without giving excessively much comfort and baggage infinite, though they seldom have all the comfortss of long-distance trains. This service provided by the authorities in order to give more convenience towards people for urban and rural countries to travel ( White, 2002 ) . The service is able to run into the demand and desire through the perceptual experience of Malayan citizen towards the service quality of commuter train by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad ( KTMB ) . The service quality in the commuter train can be measured by SERVQUAL dimension which is focal points in term of tangibles, dependability and reactivity ( Parasuraman et. al. , 1985 ) . Harmonizing to Wiki, SERVQUAL was originally measured on 10 facets ofA service quality: dependability, reactivity, competency, entree, courtesy, communicating, credibleness, security, understanding theA customerA and tangibles. It measures the spread between client outlooks and experience.
The service quality of the commuter train becomes of import issue in order to hold better and comfy environment. The service quality of the public conveyance in that country seems unsated and mean degree, which are physical installations in term of cleanliness and comfortableness, promptness, frequences and reactivity of the driver and music director of the public conveyances. Is it the services quality of the commuter train is truly implemented good in this state whether in urban or rural countries? This is because more allotment provided to retrace the quality of public conveyance. Therefore these researches try to look into the perceptual experience of the Malayan citizen towards the service qualities of the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad ( KTMB ) .
There's a specialist from your university waiting to help you with that essay.
Tell us what you need to have done now!
order now
Background of the survey
In Malaysia, KTM commuter is the 1 of the electrified commuter train service that operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad ( KTMB ) . It was foremost introduced in 1995 to provide people particularly in Kuala Lumpur and the environing suburban countries and it is a popular manner of conveyance for people who are working in Kuala Lumpur as they can go to the metropolis without being caught in traffic congestion. KTM commuter is presently the most profitable rider service offered by KTMB, lending RM84.63 million to group gross in 2006, higher than KTM Intercity ‘s net income of RM70.94 million in the same twelvemonth ( Nathan and Darshini, 2007 ) . KTM commuter has attracted a important figure of riders in the transit market. Harmonizing to the Ministry of Transport Malaysia 2008 Statistics ; the one-year ridership for KTM commuter was 36,557 1000000s of riders ( MOT, 2008 ) .
This survey is of import for KTMB by and large and KTM commuter specifically to better their services particularly trains services. Having the information gathered from this survey, they can look for effectual ways in get the better ofing these jobs and be more competitory in their services since the respondents for this survey are KTM commuter clients themselves. From the findings of this survey, the direction can be made cognizant of the jobs that they are confronting mundane and the come up with proactive actions to supply better services to the clients. In return, the clients will bask a better quality of services in the hereafter.
Research aims
The aims of the survey are:
To measure the service quality perceived by riders of Malayan citizen who ride the KTM commuter
To analyze factors act uponing the good services provided by KTM commuter.
Problem statement
The current issues and jobs respects in the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad ( KTMB ) public conveyances is the clip reaching and clip travel detaining. Many clients or riders when went and used that service they was non satisfied with the service quality provided by this KTM B after used the KTM commuter service in term of promptness and frequences of train arrive. This issue showed even the public transit is modernized and in the urban countries but service quality is still missing and non good implemented. This will take to negative perceptual experience and non fulfill the consumer utilizing the public conveyances ( Karen Thompson, Peter Schofield 2002 ) . The job of clip arrival delaying was related with the other job which is the infinite in the KTM commuter. This is because deficient infinite to transport more riders and others whereby the congestion occurred. Nowadays people out at that place largely utilizing a public conveyance like commuter as their conveyance so, the opportunity of addition riders are higher than earlier. So when the infinite of KTM commuter limited and crowded it will go worse to riders to utilize and went it.
Significant of the survey
Today the demand for an efficient and effectual public transit service like KTM commuter is going more importance in order to get the better of these jobs particularly in the Klang Valley. Besides that, many transit companies are viing with each other to pull as many clients and derive more net income. It is imperative that KTM commuter needs to go more progressive and aggressive to vie with the rivals because presents, clients are going more demanding with the quality of the service. The want value for money that is they expect the service quality that they received from the service suppliers peers or exceeds what they had paid for ( Mitra Lagerstrom, 2002 ) . Reliability is concentrating on frequences and promptness of the public conveyance arrives on clip and able to run into the perceptual experience outlook of the user. Reliability means the ability to execute the promised service faithfully and accurately ( Parasuraman, et. al. , 1988 ) . The mensurating reaching of the public conveyance at the finish on clip is of limited utility and will give positive impact towards the public outlook and perceptual experiences. The promptness measured in term of clip reaching and going is of import elements in dependability service quality of dimension.
Theoretical model
Speed
Punctuality
Service quality
Space
Frequency
Safety
Dependability
Train operationDEPENDENT VARIABLES
Comfort
INDEPENDENT VARIABLES
Research hypothesis
There are three hypothesis developed in this survey:
Hypothesis 1: There is a important difference between dimension of touchable and service quality of the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad ( KTMB )
Hypothesis 2: There is a important difference between dimension of dependability and service quality of the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad ( KTMB )
Hypothesis 3: There is a important difference between dimension of reactivity and service quality of the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad ( KTMB )
Undertaking 2 ( LOC 3: AC 3 )
Introduction
Literature reappraisal is a certification of a comprehensive reappraisal of the published and unpublished work from secondary beginnings of informations in the countries of specific involvement to the research worker. Past research on the phenomenon under probe must play cardinal function in the procedure of job preparation.
Literature reappraisal
Customer satisfaction
Harmonizing to our squad study, most of the people satisfied with KTMB services meanwhile there are some services that KTMB are non making good in their occupation client satisfaction are of import because client are judging by services based on pricing that KTMB create. KTMB besides have to better their services based on making a study, give a recommendation to client itself, on other manus the client besides have to give their sentiment on what there want or like.
Customer trueness
Customer trueness ever follows satisfaction, which is determined from the service quality offered by the KTMB. It is besides one of the most often used indexs to mensurate the success of a selling scheme.
Research methodological analysis
Introduction
The word methodological analysis is the method that any research worker used with appropriate stairss, method, technique and tools together with the attacks taken in the research procedure.
Data aggregation
Primary informations
Primary information is used for this research and the information is obtained utilizing self-administered questionnaires. The questionnaire comprised of two subdivisions. The first subdivision is designed to capture the respondents ‘ demographic. The inquiries asked in this subdivision are related to the respondents ‘ gender, nationality, ethnicity, age, matrimonial position, and business. The 2nd subdivision is designed to mensurate the clients ‘ perceptual experiences towards assorted dimensions of services public presentation in KTM commuter service.
The questionnaires are distributed among clients on board the train and those waiting for trains in the Stationss between 8 October to 10 October 2010. The sample for this survey consists of 50 respondent in Batang Benar station.
Secondary informations
Harmonizing Kotler and Armstrong, secondary informations can be defined as information that already exists someplace, holding been collected for another intent. It may be available from internal beginnings, or may hold been collected and published by another organisation. Secondary informations normally can be obtained more rapidly and at lower monetary value than primary informations as research workers can derive the needed information in signifier of authorities studies and statistics, company studies and histories, articles or diaries in cyberspace and studies in newspapers. Besides, the information that has been collected can be used to acquire a new position on the current survey, to compare the work from old findings or to utilize as a mention for future survey. The tabular array below shows the secondary beginnings that will be used in transporting out the research.
Beginnings
Explanation
Books
Literary work by professionals that relates to the nutrient and drink industry, ushers on carry oning research undertakings, every bit good as information on informations of antecedently conducted research.
Internet
The cyberspace offers limitless beginnings of information that caters to all subject countries.
Diaries
Diaries are a good beginning of secondary informations, as they may incorporate critical information of a certain period of clip.
Past Research
Datas from old research can be used to compare the statistics and other information
Undertaking 3 ( LOC 3: AC 4 and LOC 4: AC 1 and AC 2 )
Here are more thoughts as to how to work out the job on transit. This research can understand for simpleness why KTMB denominate their paths Seremban-Rawang and Sentul-Port Klang. But being so stiff about it can take to inauspicious effects.
Most people who take the KTM commuter are making it to acquire in and out of the metropolis ( e.g. Subang Jaya-Sentral ) . Or users who merely want to go down the line ( e.g. Seremban-Kajang ) . Although there must be people who use it to traverse the Klang Valley ( e.g. Seremban-Rawang ) , they are non in the bulk. The manner the service paths are designed, it seems cockamamie why these trains have to do one full journey back and forth each subdivision for every tally.
Actual fact, delays at one portion of the system can take to other trains being delayed elsewhere, farther down the line. For illustration, a Rawang-Seremban service might be delayed merely because someplace in Kajang, there is a hold. In other words, research worker proposing that the operations of these services should be made slightly a spot more independent to each other.
KTMB should see presenting a assortment of paths. Other than that, at non so busy hours, they should keep their current service paths, as usual. But at peak hours:
Seremban-Tasik Selatan – Passengers take the Sri Petaling LRT or KLIA Transit to go on their journeys.
Rawang-Bank Negara – Passengers take the Sri Petaling and Ampang LRT to go on their due south journeys.
Reduce service on the Sentul KTM subdivision – riders can trust off at Bank Negara to go on on the Sri Petaling and Ampang LRT.
Introduce express services that bypass not-so busy Stationss.
Introduce services that start and terminate at busy Stationss like Subang Jaya, Serdang etc.
Concept a Komuter station at Abdullah Hukum to let western riders to short-circuit Sentral ( and eventually seting Abdullah Hukum to good usage ) .
Continue functioning the usual full Rawang-Seremban and Sentul-Port Klang paths but at low frequences.
With the nest eggs of “ turn overing stock ” , couple those together to function busy paths.
The holds experienced by KTM commuter users seem to be with respects to colliding intercity and cargo trains, and normally this is most terrible in KL, from the Jalan Bangsar Junction to Jalan Kuching. Naturally the most reasonable thing would be to schedule all trains, and do certain they follow their agendas. But they do n’t, for grounds sometimes beyond KTM ‘s control.
There is the issue of different “ classs of service ” on “ different lines ” . KLIA Transit, being the most classy, followed by the LRTs and Monorail and the KTM commuter at the underside. And with this, besides have different menus for similar journeys.
For illustration, for the journey
Bandar Tasik Selatan to KL Sentral
Komuter – RM1.00
KLIA Transit – RM4.20
Sentul to Bandaraya/Bank Negara ( although Sentul KTM and LRT are at different topographic points )
Komuter – RM1.00
LRT – RM1.40
It is besides inevitable that KTM has to
Better on its programming and besides farther cybernation with traffic control.
Addition in capacity by geting more rolled stock to joint the current trains and to hold more train sets in service.
Better its station quality every bit good as integrating with other rail lines.
Degree centigrades: UsersANNA HBCRDesktopKlktm.gif
Finding
To happen effectivity of KTMB as a public transit
KTMB was an effectual manner to go as a public transit. KTMB was the respondent ‘s pick as a public transit to go around Rawang-Seremban, Sentul-Port Klang. Alternative public transit that the respondents choose was coach.
To place the countries covered by KTMB
KTMB covers the country that the respondents were traveling therefore it showed that the respondent were happy and satisfied with the countries covered by KTMB. The countries that had been covered by KTMB was close to the respondent workplace and to Mid Valley which one of a top topographic point for tourer and people to shop and hang out.
To compare the menu of KTMB with other public transit
The research worker found out that the respondent were satisfied with the ticket monetary value of KTMB compared with the monetary value of other public transit. The factor that many respondents were satisfied was the fare monetary value is cheaper than taking other public transit. KTMB was close to the topographic point that many respondents were traveling hence KTMB was the bulk respondents ‘ pick of transit.
To analyse the frequence of travellers utilizing KTMB transit
The research worker found out that the traveling frequence for KTMB was equal for respondents as many of the respondents used this service to go around Rawang-Seremban, Sentul-Port Klang. Important factor would be that the respondents used this service because their workplace is situated in KL Central, Mid Valley and etc besides to avoid traffic jams.
Gantt Chart for Research Project Proposal
Activity
Start Date
Duration ( yearss )
End Date
Proposal
14/9/2011
3
17/9/2011
Survey Methodology
14/9/2011
1
15/9/2011
Literature Reappraisal:
18/9/2011
12
10/9/2011
Writers
18/9/2011
7
25/9/2011
Government Publications
27/9/2011
7
4/10/2011
Questionnaire Preparation
5/10/2011
1
6/10/2011
Interview and Survey
6/10/2011
2
8/10/2011
Tally and Analyze Survey Questionnaire
8/10/2011
1
9/10/2011
End Discussion and Decision
9/10/2011
1
10/10/2011
14/9/2011
8/10/2011
25/10/2011
6/10/2011
Proposal
Survey Methodology
Literature Reappraisal:
Writers
Government Publications
Questionnaire Preparation
Interview and Survey
Tally and Analyze Survey
aˆ¦
End Discussion and Decision
Start Date
Duration ( yearss )
Undertaking 4 ( LOC 4: AC 3 )
Decision and recommendation
Findingss of this survey have of import practical to direction of quality of the Malaysian rail services. This survey demonstrates the utility as a step of service quality. The measuring graduated table besides serves to place symptoms and the implicit in jobs that inhibit the effectual proviso of quality services in rail conveyance.
Once the properties of rail services from the clients ‘ position are more clearly known and understood, its service suppliers will be in a better place to expect consumer demands instead than to respond to consumer dissatisfaction. The properties of dependability and tangibles have been identified by respondents to be the most of import dimensions of service quality. These two dimensions were besides found to hold the highest spread ( perceptual experience minus outlook ) , connoting that clients ‘ outlook of dependability and tangibles dimensions of the railroad services are non met by KTMB. Although these findings can non be generalized to the overall rider profile, KTMB should utilize it as an drift to measure their services, peculiarly to analyze ways of bettering on their dependability and tangibles dimensions.
KTMB direction could get down by bettering on staff preparation, particularly to develop their staff to be more professional and gracious when covering with clients. The public assurance of KTMB has to be gained and the best manner is for the direction to look at bettering on facets such as dependability of services, bettering physical installations, preparation of staff and pass oning precise information on train agendas.
In position of the intense competition in the conveyance sector with the gap of the North-South Highway, it is imperative that the direction of KTMB carry out more research to detect any deficits in service quality and to take necessary disciplinary steps in instance of a deficit. This could guarantee that the service quality of KTMB provides the best to its consumers in order to vie efficaciously with other manners of conveyance. As the consumer plays a cardinal function in the definition and rating of the quality of rail services offered, directors of KTMB should integrate consumer outlooks and perceptual experiences in the preparation of effectual long-run selling scheme.
KTM should better the train service in footings of the promptness and supply a suited frequence ( for illustration: every 10 proceedingss ) to cut down congestion at the Stationss particularly during peak hours. This survey besides recommends that future research workers should come out with the focal point groups to compare the sentiment between KTMB users with other transit manner users.
