Passenger Satisfaction Evaluation and Achieving Sustainable Integrated Urban Transport: Structural Equation Analysis Based on Macau Data
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
This paper is entitled A Study on Macau Mainland Students' Satisfaction with Macau Public Transport Based on Structural Equations”. To improve the quality of public transport services in Macau, and enhance the attractiveness of public transport in Macau and its operational efficiency, an evaluation index system of satisfaction with public transport in Macau is established based on the analysis of the operational characteristics of public transport in Macau.. In this case, the idea and results of the paper are interesting but the following comments can be utilized to improve this paper in future.
Abstract: Authors must elaborate the objectives in the abstract.
Introduction 24-52: Authors must provide suitable references for the information provided in this section. All information must be related to the recent work related to the objective of the research.
The references in Line 81 and line 87 must be checked. Where is the citation [4]?!
Line 147: “12 satisfaction indicators of satisfaction”: why 12 indicator?! Authors must provide strong reason for that.
Line 150: “6 satisfaction indicators”: same as prior comment. Why 6?!
Line 161: “A total of 330 questionnaires were distributed”: Authors must provide strong reason and statically analysis about selection of 330 questionnaires. Why this number was selected?!
Table 1, Gender: provide reason for differentiation selection between male and female.
General: Author must the format of the journal. The caption of the figure must be written bottom. It must be considering within whole part of the manuscript.
Literature review: Authors must consider comprehensive research related to the objective of the manuscript. Now, the number of considered research is few and it must be improved.
Final decision: The idea and objective of this paper are interesting. The structure of the paper is suitable. This paper is appropriate for publication after minor review
Author Response
Point 1: Abstract: Authors must elaborate the objectives in the abstract.
Response 1:
We thank the reviewers for their comments. We have refined the statement on the study's objectives in the abstract.
The sustainable development of urban transport is critical to sustainable urban development. Our study analyses and identifies the evaluation indicators affecting transport in Macao and analyses the relationship between the relevant evaluation indicators and passenger satisfaction. We hope that the study has contributed to improving public transport services and the sustainable development of public transport in Macao.
第 2 点： 引言 24-52：作者必须为本节提供的信息提供合适的参考资料。所有信息必须与与研究目标相关的近期工作相关。
响应 2：
我们感谢评论家的评论。我们对文章的介绍部分进行了更改。
We have added some relevant details about the study and improved the presentation in the introduction. Macau has its characteristics, with a small urban area and a sizeable non-local population. Since the new crown epidemic in 2019, the interest of mainland Chinese students in Macau universities has been increasing, and the number of mainland Chinese students coming to Macau to study has significantly increased. As car rentals, etc., do not exist in Macao, and as driving licenses are not mutually recognized, taking public transport has become the primary choice for students. This group's selection as our study's subject is somewhat representative.
Point 3: The references in Line 81 and line 87 must be checked. Where is the citation [4]?!
Response 3:
We thank the reviewers for their comments. We regret that the fourth error in the documentation was not detected when we first submitted the manuscript. We have recently revised and added some relevant references and re-checked the citation format of each reference.
Point 4:Line 147: “12 satisfaction indicators of satisfaction”: why 12 indicator?! Authors must provide strong reason for that.
Response 4:
We thank the reviewers for their comments. Our choice of the 12 indicators for public transport was made concerning existing studies and the characteristics of public transport in Macao.
Most existing studies have focused on comfort, frequency of service, safety, price, punctuality, and accessibility when analyzing public transport satisfaction. On this basis, we excluded options such as the price from the pre-survey. This is because the student fares for public transport in Macau showed near-perfect satisfaction in the pre-survey and have little value for analyzing the differences between the different services. We recognize that price would be an essential option to expand our respondent group.
Previous studies and pre-surveys, therefore, informed our choice of 12 indicators.
Point 5:Line 150: “6 satisfaction indicators”: same as prior comment. Why 6?
Response 5:
We thank the reviewers for their comments. The indicators for evaluating taxis and taxis were also based on research and pre-surveys.
There are many characteristics that taxis and radio taxis do not have compared to buses. Of course, they have their characteristics. Since radio taxis and taxis in Macao differ, we have set options for Option 2: waiting for time and convenience of hailing taxis. Through the pre-survey, we added the option of communication with the driver. Unlike public transport, we need to inform the driver of our destination when taking a taxi, so the smoothness of communication with the driver becomes a factor.
In summary, we have set six options based on existing research and conducting a pre-survey.
Point 6:Line 161: “A total of 330 questionnaires were distributed”: Authors must provide strong reason and statically analysis about selection of 330 questionnaires. Why this number was selected?
Response 6:
We thank the reviewers for their comments. The respondents of our study were students enrolled in tertiary education in Macao, and we determined the sample size of each school in our study based on the number of students enrolled in each university. We adopted a random sampling method in different universities based on the determined sampling proportion. The sample of 330 people was randomly formed in the sampling process according to the sampling proportion. We think that strict consideration should be given to differences in travel routes, etc., between students from different universities and that proportional sampling will minimize errors due to uneven sampling.
Point 7:Table 1, Gender: provide reason for differentiation selection between male and female.
Response 7:
We thank the reviewers for their comments. Our research focuses on passenger satisfaction with public transport. According to existing studies, there are differences in the satisfaction performance of passengers by gender.
Soza-Panra's study found that female passengers were more responsive to comfort. In contrast, Shuli Luo's study found that female passengers were more concerned with the comfort of the transport environment (mainly safety, temperature, and crowding). At the same time, men were more concerned with electronic payments and accidents. These studies are cited in the research background in section 2 of the article.
Gender was therefore included as an option for basic personal information, providing information for further analysis of gender differences in passenger satisfaction in Macau.
Point 8:General: Author must the format of the journal. The caption of the figure must be written bottom. It must be considering within whole part of the manuscript.
Response 8:
We thank the reviewers for their comments. We have made changes to the position of the title of the diagram. We have also double-checked the table and figure in the full text.
Point 9:Literature review: Authors must consider comprehensive research related to the objective of the manuscript. Now, the number of considered research is few and it must be improved.
Response 9:
我们感谢审稿人的评论。我们浏览了许多最近的研究，并在文章中添加了一些近年来的参考资料。对原有的part 2文献综述进行了调整，建立了新的part 2研究背景和假设。
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Thank you for submitting your scholarly work to Sustainability. The paper is quite interesting and I appreciate the efforts that authors have put in. I would extend certain suggestions to enhance the quality of the paper.
The manuscript needs thorough language editing and proofread. In some places sentences have been repeated, for example line no 152,153, 165,166,167
Structural equation modeling should precede with hypotheses. Authors should create tentative relationships among the variables in hand before going for SEM. Data analysis and interpretation should be made in the light of these hypotheses.
Sampling method should be clearly mentioned. There should be a scientific justification for the sample size.
Create a separate section on “Discussion” and discuss the findings in relation to the latest literature
Create a separate section on “practical and theoretical implication” of the study
Create a separate section on “limitations” of the study
The literature is old and you need to add latest literature on the topic. The quantity of literature is also insufficient.
Author Response
Point 1: The manuscript needs thorough language editing and proofread. In some places sentences have been repeated, for example line no 152,153, 165,166,167
Response 1:
We are grateful to the reviewers for their comments. We have combed through the text as a whole and double-checked the language presentation. Native English-speaking experts have touched up our texts.
Point 2: Structural equation modeling should precede with hypotheses. Authors should create tentative relationships among the variables in hand before going for SEM. Data analysis and interpretation should be made in the light of these hypotheses.
Response 2:
We are grateful to the reviewers for their comments, which have provided us with significant help in improving our articles. We restructured the article by adding Part 2, Research Background and Hypothesis. In this section, we added three research hypotheses and tested these three hypotheses later in the study.
Hypothesis (H1): The smoothness of Macao's public transport correlates with passenger satisfaction and has a negative effect.
Hypothesis (H2): The payment method of Macao taxis correlates with passenger satisfaction and has a negative effect.
Hypothesis (H3): The mode of hailing Macao taxis positively affects passenger satisfaction.
Point 3: Sampling method should be clearly mentioned. There should be a scientific justification for the sample size.
Response 3:
We are grateful to the reviewers for their comments, which have provided us with significant help in improving our articles. The respondents of our study were students enrolled in tertiary education in Macao, and we determined the sample size of each school in our study based on the number of students enrolled in each university. We adopted a random sampling method in different universities based on the determined sampling proportion. The sample of 330 people was randomly formed in the sampling process according to the sampling proportion. We think that strict consideration should be given to differences in travel routes, etc., between students from different universities and that proportional sampling will minimize errors due to uneven sampling.
Point 4: Create a separate section on “Discussion” and discuss the findings in relation to the latest literature
Response 4:
We thank the reviewers for their comments. We have restructured the article by adding a discussion section to the Discussion and Limitations section in Part 6. The commonalities and differences between the findings of our study and those of recent studies are described.
Point 5: Create a separate section on “practical and theoretical implication” of the study
Response 5:
We thank the reviewers for their comments. In our study, we set out the practical and theoretical implications of the research. Section 6 sets out the commonalities and differences between our study and existing research, confirming some of the current study's findings. At the same time, some of the differences reflect the variability in evaluating satisfaction in different geographical regions. Section 7 presents the policy implications section, explaining the shortcomings of public transport services in Macao identified by our study and making recommendations.
Point 6: Create a separate section on “limitations” of the study
Response 6:
We thank the reviewers for their comments. We have restructured the article and discussed the limitations in Section 6. Our study also has the following limitations: firstly, our small sample size and relatively homogeneous respondents need to cover the perceptions of all users of integrated transport services. The evaluation of public transport services in Macau formed on this basis is limited and lacks broad representativeness. In addition, our study does not take note of changes in the time dimension, and the analysis of individual differences needs to be revised. It does not capture the relationship between trip frequency and satisfaction.
Our future research could be improved by using the time dimension to understand passenger satisfaction, making our study more valuable.
Point 7: The literature is old and you need to add latest literature on the topic. The quantity of literature is also insufficient.
Response 7:
We are grateful to the reviewers for their comments. We have browsed through many recent studies and have added some references from recent years to the article. The original part 2 literature review has been adjusted, and a new part 2 research background and hypothesis has been set up.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
In my view, the authors ought to alter the title of the article, as it covers not simply public transport but also alternative methods of individual transportation in the urban area. An additional option would be to just include in the article those figures that are linked to urban public transport. It is essential to bear in mind that today, many citizens in cities are turning to non-traditional methods of personal transport due to their convenience and cost-effectiveness. Thus, by broadening the scope of their article, the authors would be giving an accurate representation of the current state of urban mobility.
In my view, the literature review is insufficient and fails to provide a comprehensive assessment. The authors should give further consideration to the topic of defining public transport, as well as delineating the different types of urban public transport. Doing so would permit a more thorough understanding of the subject matter.
In order to provide an in-depth understanding of the transportation options available in Macao City, a section should be included in the paper devoted to the analysis of public transport in the region. This section could provide information such as an overview of the various public transport options available, such as buses, taxis, ferries, and light rail; the advantages and disadvantages of each mode; and the availability of other transportation solutions, such as shared mobility services. Furthermore, a comparison of the different modes of transportation in terms of cost, safety, and convenience should be provided in order to better inform the reader. Ultimately, this section should serve as a comprehensive guide to the transportation options available in Macao City, enabling readers to make informed decisions based on the information provided.
In the conclusion of this paper, it is important to recognize the limitations of this study. These may include a lack of available data, a limited sample size, or the need for a control group. Additionally, it is important to consider what further research needs to be done in order to build on the findings of this study. Future research could include expanding the sample size or conducting a wider range of experiments in order to validate the results. With this in mind, it is possible to better understand the implications of the findings and make meaningful conclusions.
The article is lacking in stylistic accuracy, as is evidenced by the errors located on lines 87 and 108. Furthermore, the images included should be of higher quality and in English in order to be effective; for example, Figure 3. To maximize the text's effectiveness, it is essential for the author to ensure that all images conform to a certain standard and that the text is free of any stylistic errors.
Author Response
Point 1: In my view, the authors ought to alter the title of the article, as it covers not simply public transport but also alternative methods of individual transportation in the urban area. An additional option would be to just include in the article those figures that are linked to urban public transport. It is essential to bear in mind that today, many citizens in cities are turning to non-traditional methods of personal transport due to their convenience and cost-effectiveness. Thus, by broadening the scope of their article, the authors would be giving an accurate representation of the current state of urban mobility.
Response 1:
We are grateful to the reviewers for their comments, which have provided us with significant help in improving our articles.
Our research focuses on the satisfaction of Macao's higher education students with Macao's transport. We recognize that urban transport is an integral part of today's society, that no one can rely on just one mode of travel, and that there is a well-established substitution effect between different modes of transport. Public transport is one of the most traditional forms of urban transport today, with comprehensive coverage and low prices that some modes cannot replace. As a relatively small region, Macao has its characteristics in terms of transport development. There are five modes of transport in Macao: walking, cycling, driving, taxis, buses, and light rail, all operated by one company in the industry. Macao's traffic regulations restrict mainland students from driving vehicles in Macao, so public transport is the primary option for most students. The selection of higher education students in Macao as our research population imposes certain limitations on our study, limiting our research to a few traditional modes of transport.
We are committed to expanding the scope of our respondents and modes of transport in future studies so that the amount of our research can provide a complete picture of the current situation, problems, and directions of the development of integrated urban transport services.
We are very grateful to the reviewers for their comments, which have provided us with significant help and directions for improvement. We have revised the title of our article to "Passenger satisfaction evaluation and achieving sustainable integrated urban transport: structural equation analysis based on Macao data."
Point 2: In my view, the literature review is insufficient and fails to provide a comprehensive assessment. The authors should give further consideration to the topic of defining public transport, as well as delineating the different types of urban public transport. Doing so would permit a more thorough understanding of the subject matter.
Response 2:
We thank the reviewers for their comments. We have browsed through many recent studies and added some references from recent years to the article. The original Part II literature review has been adapted, and a new Part II has been set up with the research background and hypotheses.
In the research context, we describe the results of studies on public transport satisfaction and satisfaction factors, setting the stage for constructing our subsequent indicator system.
We recognize that assessing satisfaction with a single mode of transport in future studies will provide a clearer picture of its current status, shortcomings, and the way forward. This will help us optimize our research further, and thank you for your comments!
Point 3: In order to provide an in-depth understanding of the transportation options available in Macao City, a section should be included in the paper devoted to the analysis of public transport in the region. This section could provide information such as an overview of the various public transport options available, such as buses, taxis, ferries, and light rail; the advantages and disadvantages of each mode; and the availability of other transportation solutions, such as shared mobility services. Furthermore, a comparison of the different modes of transportation in terms of cost, safety, and convenience should be provided in order to better inform the reader. Ultimately, this section should serve as a comprehensive guide to the transportation options available in Macao City, enabling readers to make informed decisions based on the information provided.
Response 3:
We are grateful to the reviewers for their comments, which have provided us with significant help in improving our articles.
We have restructured the article by revising the literature review in Part 2 of the original article to include the research background and research hypothesis. In the research background, we describe the existing transport modes and their current status of integrated transport services in Macao. The advantages and disadvantages of different modes of transport are also analyzed and compared. The price and other conditions of the different modes of transport are presented.
Through the reviewers' suggestions, we realize that adding this section is of great value in understanding our study and the integrated transport services in Macao itself.
Point 4: In the conclusion of this paper, it is important to recognize the limitations of this study. These may include a lack of available data, a limited sample size, or the need for a control group. Additionally, it is important to consider what further research needs to be done in order to build on the findings of this study. Future research could include expanding the sample size or conducting a wider range of experiments in order to validate the results. With this in mind, it is possible to better understand the implications of the findings and make meaningful conclusions.
Response 4:
We thank the reviewers for their comments. We have restructured the article and discussed the limitations in Section 6. Our study also has the following limitations: firstly, our small sample size and relatively homogeneous respondents need to cover the perceptions of all users of integrated transport services. The evaluation of public transport services in Macau formed on this basis is limited and lacks broad representativeness. In addition, our study does not take note of changes in the time dimension, and the analysis of individual differences needs to be revised. It does not capture the relationship between trip frequency and satisfaction.
Our future research could be improved by using the time dimension to understand passenger satisfaction, making our study more valuable.
Point 5: The article is lacking in stylistic accuracy, as is evidenced by the errors located on lines 87 and 108. Furthermore, the images included should be of higher quality and in English in order to be effective; for example, Figure 3. To maximize the text's effectiveness, it is essential for the author to ensure that all images conform to a certain standard and that the text is free of any stylistic errors.
Response 5:
We thank the reviewers for their comments. We have carefully checked our article and had it touched up by native English-speaking experts. We have carefully checked the language in the article and the references for citations. We checked the titles of figures and tables and the placement of headings. Moreover, it improved the clarity of the figures so that they would fit the article. We revised our figures, and all text was revised and checked for English.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 2 Report
Thank you for submitting the revised version. All the comments have been addressed and I am satisfied. However, a minor change is needed. Authors should rephrase the hypotheses. The word "correlate" restricts the study to just correlational study. Replace the word correlate with "negatively influence".
Author Response
Point 1: Authors should rephrase the hypotheses. The word "correlate" restricts the study to just correlational study. Replace the word correlate with "negatively influence".
Response 1:
Thank you very much for your review comments. We have revised the article's assumptions and changed the expression "correlate" to "negatively influence." This has been marked in the report.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
Thank you for incorporating the comments into the text of the article; I believe that the article is now more concise and comprehensible for readers. Scientifically, there is a logical consistency and clear conclusions that can be drawn.
Author Response
Thank you very much for your review comments, which have provided much-needed help in improving this article.
