Assessing the Inclusivity of Passengers with Disabilities in Bus Rapid Transit Services.

Abstract

This study assessed the inclusivity of Passengers with disabilities in acquiring services from the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) , focusing on staff training, physical accessibility, and passenger experiences. Descriptive research design was adopted, employing stratified random sampling of 178 DART staff and purposive sampling for 5 Zonal station leaders and snowball sampling for selecting 100 passengers with disabilities. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data and analysed using SPSS (Version 26). Quantitative findings were presented through descriptive and inferential statistics, including multiple regression, while narrations presented the qualitative findings through content analysis. Findings exposed that disability awareness training was inconsistently provided and infrastructure, though present but is poorly maintained or inadequately enforced. Moreover, it was found that passengers with disabilities had negative experiences, particularly in boarding, station navigation, and comfort. Regression results showed that passenger experience had the supreme, important influence on satisfaction, followed by staff training and physical accessibility. The study concludes that DART had to deliver transport that is equitable and inclusivity for people with disabilities. The recommendations were made on the provision of regular staff training, improvements in accessibility features, and stronger enforcement of inclusive policies.