Customer satisfaction with public transport

Commuters are less satisfied with public transport in Singapore compared to a year ago. 

This is according to an Institute of Service Excellence, or ISES, survey of some 2,300 people between April and June (2012). 

The MRT sector saw the largest drop of close to 9 per cent in customer satisfaction - scoring 61.9 points out of 100. 

Public buses scored 61.6 points a fall of 7.2 per cent. 

ISES Academic Director Marcus Lee says the scores are far from the national average for satisfaction levels, which is close to 70. 

"Our satisfaction ratings are on a 0 to 100 scale. To give you some context, a company known for very good service like a very good hotel will score in the 80s. The MRT system and buses are scoring in the low 60s. The national average is close to 70. So we are very far from the average satisfaction level in Singapore."

"What we found was that customer expectations have not changed year-on-year, despite all that has happened, people still expect the same level of service quality, or commuting experience from the operators. But what has happened is that perceptions of what they're receiving has dropped significantly from the previous year." 

And this, Assistant Professor Lee says, leads to worsening customer satisfaction. 

In particular, bus frequencies and punctuality were rated the poorest, as in previous years. 

The study also found commuters had a significantly higher expectation of Singapore's taxi service. 

This could be due to the fare hikes in December last year. 

However, commuters' perceptions of taxis' quality level did not change. 

Overall, the customer satisfaction score for the transport and logistics sector is at its lowest since the survey started in 2007.