An Empirical Analysis of Loyalty and Cost-Efficiency Demand for Inter-City Public Transportation in Ghana | Chapter 3 | An Overview on Business, Management and Economics Research Vol. 9

This paper explores the cost-efficiency demand-driven passenger loyalty factors that explain variations in patronage of inter-city public transportation (PT) in Ghana. Given the absence of a significant rail transport system in Ghana, PT is predominantly road-based. The study focuses on inter-city PT because the industry now faces new challenges in attracting and retaining passengers due to competition with private hiring vehicles, and other related private transport service providers in recent years. A sample of 2,431 respondents across the 16 geopolitical regions of Ghana, and based on the Structural Equation Modelling analytical framework, we test the hypothesis that there is an interaction between cost-efficiency demand-driven passenger loyalty factors and passenger loyalty in the PT system of Ghana. Accordingly, the question as to whether and how cost-efficiency demand-driven passenger loyalty factors impact passenger loyalty to PT in Ghana has been empirically examined. The Smart PLS 3.3.2 and SPSS version 22 software were used for the analysis of the data collected through questionnaires. Broadly, the findings reveal that, in Ghana, loyalty rather than cost-efficiency demand factors impact inter-city public transportation service delivery. The empirical results show that two-thirds of the total variations in demand-driven passenger loyalty are accounted for by operation, personnel service, on-board conditions, the image of public transportation type, service delivery, cost (service value), switching cost, and cost-efficiency demand factors. Invariably, overcoming the threats to maximising revenue and sustaining the efficiency within the Ghanaian inter-city public transportation system is internal and customer satisfaction oriented rather than regulatory environment and other external factors. Impliedly, demand-driven passenger loyalty deduced from customer satisfaction is a necessary condition for sustainable revenue maximisation and operationalisation of PT in Ghana. Based on this result, it is recommended that the private sector-led public transport operators should eschew monopolistic tendencies and endeavour to constantly engage passengers in a bid to meet their expectations and needs that maximise their satisfaction as clients at all times.

Author(s) Details:

Deodat Emilson Adenutsi,
Department of Accounting and Finance, Ho Technical University, Ho, Ghana.

Maxwell Selase Akple,
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ho Technical University, Ho, Ghana.

Alhassan Musah,
Department of Accounting and Finance, Takoradi Technical University, Takoradi, Ghana.

Bismark Okyere,
Department of Accounting and Finance, Ho Technical University, Ho, Ghana.

Lawrenda Adiasany,
Registrar’s Department, Ho Technical University, Ho, Ghana.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/AOBMER-V9/article/view/13405

Advanced Study on Electrically Operated Multipurpose Trolley | Chapter 8 | Advanced Aspects of Engineering Research Vol. 3

 The current paper is about the design and construction of an industrial trolley that can be used to transport luggage or other objects from one location to another. A trolley is useful for moving various objects from one location to another in our everyday lives or even at work, depending on the situation. Trolleys may be made of plastic, metal, or wood, depending on what is being transported. The shape and scale of the trolley's wheels will also differ depending on the type of ground it travels over and the work environment. Trollies are used to transport goods in shopping malls, airports, and factories. Passengers in airports use trollies to transport their luggage to the check-in counters. They can encounter higher weight issues at check-in, forcing them to pay an excess baggage fee or dispose of just a few essential things. At check-in, this causes an unpleasant and awkward situation. And if the passenger is elderly or a senior citizen, the situation becomes even more tense. In addition, a survey conducted at Muscat airport using a prepared questionnaire showed the need for significant improvements in current trollies in terms of luggage handling comfort, loading and unloading of luggage, and the need for luggage weight at the time of loading. In addition, many food and kitchen industries use trollies to collect and transport goods to stores after they have been weighed. The Arduino-based electronically controlled steerable trolley built here aims to resolve a few of these main issues by directly measuring the weight of the objects on the trolley and allowing for easy movement using battery power. AUTOCAD was used to build the trolley, and CREO V3 was used to perform a stress analysis on the structure. The fabrication is finished according to the specification and put through its paces. The trolley's testing revealed that for a maximum load of 90 kg, including the weight of the passengers, the time taken to travel on a smooth horizontal airport surface for a distance of 10 m at full and half rated motor speed is only 7 seconds and 9.6 seconds, respectively. At the Muscat airport, the trolley was also successfully checked for elevated slope, requiring an additional 25 seconds at full rated speed at maximum loading condition of 90 kg. The trolley also has a few extra features, such as photovoltaic system technology for charging smart devices and a sliding platform for fast loading and unloading of goods. Various disadvantages of traditional trolleys, such as unnecessary human labour and increased time commitment, were minimised. Future work would require the use of lighter aluminium alloy materials and solar panels to power the trolley.

Author (s) Details

Al Sult Al Kharusi
College of Engineering, National University of Science and Technology, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.

Dinesh Keloth Kaithari
College of Engineering, National University of Science and Technology, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.

Parimal S. Bhambare
College of Engineering, National University of Science and Technology, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.

View Book :- https://stm.bookpi.org/AAER-V3/issue/view/42