Assessing the design and operation of riga’s international coach terminal

Abstract

This paper aims at identifying the performance level of Riga’s International Coach Terminal, by assessing its design and operation. Based on an extended state-of-the-art review of best practices, a list of representative indicators, grouped into eight groups, were used and evaluated by terminal’s users. These groups deal with mobility provision, way-finding information, time and movement issues in the terminal, accessibility, comfort, station image and attractiveness, safety and security, and handling of emergency situations. The objectives of the research are to: (a) point out the level of user’s satisfaction from the current terminal operation, infrastructure and services, and (b) correlate the above attributes with the overall terminal assessment. For the data collection, a face-to-face and internet-based questionnaire survey was conducted, with users stating their perceptions and level of satisfaction, related to the terminal infrastructure, operation and services, as classified in the aforementioned eight groups of indicators. A decision-tree approach was applied to indicate the key performance indicators in users’ assessment formulation for the case study. Research findings reveal the most significant parameters that need to be modified in order to increase users’ satisfaction, which will gradually increase the overall image and attractiveness of the terminal and the usage of its services. © Springer International Publishing AG 2018.