The typology of user misbehavior on public transport

Abstract

Abstract Public transport is facing escalating problems with passengers who misbehave, by not following the organizational culture, social norms, public health and social measures. The objectives of this thesis are to explore the; “the classic” misbehaviour before Covid-19 and the “modified/new” behaviour during Covid-19 sanitary crisis, the motivation of user misbehaviour, the outcome of customer misconduct on customer satisfaction and the novel behaviours in the wake of Covid-19. To investigate the nature of negative experiences in public transport before and during Covid-19. A qualitative research design with eight in-depth semi-structured interviews as the primary approach to data collection was used. The researcher has used a purposive sampling approach and interviewed the participants by phone, face-to-face and with the help of a social-media network app (Facebook Messenger). The study is analysed by using thematic analysis. The results that this study found are user misbehaviours before COVID-19 which are; speaking loudly, playing loud music, occupying more than one seat, and cutting the queue. User misbehaviours that resulted from Covid-19 sanitary crisis which are: Boarding the transport without wearing a mask/ or wearing a mask inappropriate, failing to respect social distancing rule, sneezing/coughing without following the health measures, contaminating the public transport. The motivations of user misbehaviours which are the following: lack of knowledge, miscommunication, culture, selfishness and other people’s behaviours.