Quality of service in dial-a-ride operations

Few studies have been conducted on the quality of service provided by the organizations responsible for the operation of dial-a-ride services for people with reduced mobility. In order to study quality in such contexts, the paper first provides several definitions of quality in the service sector. Then, some models based on the definitions of quality in marketing will be quickly surveyed, and various measurement scales will be presented. After a brief review of the tools and practices used in the service sector to improve quality, the notion of quality in dial-a-ride services is discussed more in depth. In particular, the dimensions and attributes of various scales of measurement used by researchers in dial-a-ride studies are reviewed. Finally, the impact on quality of various elements, like the size and type of organization and the operational rules used, are discussed.