An assessment of gender disparity that exists in the transit service provision: a case study of MRT feeder bus service in Klang Valley, Malaysia

People are transported from one location to another in cities of Malaysia using a variety of urban mass transit systems. However, in urban area like Klang Valley, where infrastructure development is accelerating, each gender has distinct difficulties and has a different experience utilising public transportation systems. To ensure gender equality for those using public transportation, particularly bus transit, this study tends to reveal the gender differences in perception of MRT feeder bus service quality along the major routes of Klang Valley of Malaysia. MRT feeder buses are seen to have the promise of reducing the increasing congestion in our cities if they are managed effectively and sustainably. As a result, by examining the gender disparities in perceptions of the quality of the MRT feeder transport services, this research broadens the investigation of the MRT feeder bus services. For this study, a quantitative method was used, and convenience sampling was used. The questionnaire was distributed at the chosen MRT Feeder Bus stations along the main routes in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. Results from the survey supported the effectiveness and efficiency of service delivery, demonstrating that both genders found punctuality, waiting times, journey times, and the frequency of MRT feeder buses to be above 80% satisfactory. However, the study found that, there is gender disparity in the connection between gender and the cleanliness of bus stops, the distance from the starting point to the bus stop, and the fear of criminality at MRT feeder bus stations (all stops assessment). According to the results of the factor analysis, six variables can affect passenger satisfaction, including bus reliability, comfort, condition, driver attitude and appearance, access and egress issues, and bus stop evaluation. As a result, it suggests that a high number of women will experience greater fear while travelling on public transportation if inadequate planning and management of the overall public transportation infrastructure design is not remedied. It recommends a complete improvement of safety measures for women and girls as well as an increase in the service frequency of the MRT feeder buses to keep current customers and draw in more new ones

Travellers and multimodal public transport prayer facilities: the case study of KLIA and TBS

Public transport interchanges are important for the multimodal travellers in getting the access to the multiple types of transportation. The supporting amenities are required in offering the better services to the users. Prayer facilities is one of the most amenities to be prepared as Malaysia is multi religion country and Islam as the national religion. Thus, this study attempts at explaining how perception, in the form of satisfaction levels, is expressed by a combination of socio-demographic and trip characteristics. The paper also aims at prescribing the improvements of worship facilities provided at public transport interchanges of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS). This study adopted intercept off-board questionnaire survey method. The respondents were approached based on convenient sampling due to logistic issues and minimal disturbance to passengers' comfort level being conditioned by the buildings management's approval. From the survey, the multimodal users were short distance and local (Klang Valley) travellers whose travel time transgressed beyond a single prayer time window and for commuting purpose. Generally, passengers intercepted were satisfied with the four components namely Design, Cleanliness, Distance and Latent qualities of prayer facilities. Gender, income and employment types were socio-demographic characteristics influencing the users' perception. Traveller types, trip frequency, access egress mode and trip purpose also important roles in perceiving the qualities of worship amenities provided by the public transport interchange building managers. This paper has explained the relationships between the satisfaction of the facility provided at public transport interchange in both KLIA and the TBS. Building managers must differentiate the needs of travellers by type, by mode of access/egress, by trip frequency and purposes. The issues of quality and equality must be addressed by focusing on the items significantly correlated to the perception including PWD sensitive and universally designed building

Route planning for crowd management in disaster prone areas

Managing crowd is essential in a time of emergency because a large volume of movements or flow may be restricted or obstructed by the existing capacity. This paper centres around preparedness, actions were taken during the event and mitigation measures of flooding in two case studies. Hulu Langat and Cameron Highlands have similarities and differences in planning for, managing of and reviving from flood disasters. In particular, route planning is focused to extract the movement behaviour among people impacted by the calamity. This study employed an interview method which results have been synthesised to feed into the formulation of future strategies for access or movement facilities for victims of disasters

Travellers' perception of worship facilities for multimodal users of MRT SBK line

The complete opening of the new Mass Rapid Transit System (MRT) Sungai Buloh - Kajang (SBK) of Klang Valley, Malaysia since July 2017 has been supported positively by transit researchers and public transport advocators alike. Multimodal public transport users make trips, usually involving transferring at interchanges. These interchanges are provided with several amenities facilitating each trip leg. This research recorded the perception of users of worship facilities provided at an interchanging node where several rails, bus, taxi, and other paratransit systems meet. This new rail system intersects with the other systems at Muzium Negara station. Using intercept off-board face to face questionnaire survey method, perception of the quality of worship facilities was captured between May and August 2019. Several explanatory variables such as socio economic and trip characteristics were set against the perception to identify factors influencing the perception. Results of the correlational analysis showed that both socio-demographic and trip characteristics influenced perception to various statistical significance degrees. Findings suggested that worship facilities were most utilised by passengers of MRT who relatively lower income, engaged in the public, specifically educational sector. Usage of MRT for commuting within the Klang Valley on monthly basis. The improvements in ventilation systems, prayer hall size and design, floor cleanliness, lighting and mirror design as well as shoe rack/clean area design were most sought by these passengers. As such, these should be the focus of strategies to be promptly adopted by interchanging nodes building managers to increase the quality of worship places provisio