Abstract
The public passenger transport service in Sri Lanka is often criticized as low in quality. The quality depends on a wider range of service elements and attributes pertinent to the service. The aim of this paper is to identify the crucial service elements and attributes in determining passenger satisfaction based on perceptions of dwellers in urban Colombo. Using quantitative data and also analytical techniques, the study found that 17 service elements, majority being related to professionalism and service delivery qualities, were integral for ensuring passenger satisfaction. It emphasizes that these service elements should be given priority by policy makers and service providers when allocating their scarce resources in this service. An equal allocation of resources to improve the quality of the 33 elements is not effective and meaningful. It also shows that more than half of the significant service elements or attributes are mostly the man-related elements which can be improved by training. In addition, safety, time and information related service attributes, which have been significant, may also be indirectly and partly related to the behaviour of the frontline staff.