International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056 Volume: 10 Issue: 02 | Feb 2023 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072 © 2023, IRJET | Impact Factor value: 7.529 | ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal | Page 303 Women’s Perceptions of Metro Rail Service Quality using Structural Equation Modelling - A Case study of Delhi and Lucknow, India Monika Singh 1 , Sanjay Gupta 2 1 PhD Scholar, Dept. of Transport Planning, School of Planning & Architecture, Delhi, India 2 Professor, Dept. of Transport Planning, School of Planning & Architecture, Delhi, India ---------------------------------------------------------------------***--------------------------------------------------------------------- Abstract - Public transport forms the backbone of meeting any city’s mobility needs. Paying extra attention to service quality in public transport can play an important role in catering to existing customers as well as attracting new transit users. Men and women tend to exhibit different behavioral tendencies in use of transportation modes such as buses and metro systems. The existing level of research carried out do not adequately answer how gender perception differs across cities with diverse geographies, systems of government, and public transport service availability. This paper is an attempt to assess which particular service characteristics distinguishes women's opinion of public transportation in across two administratively and culturally distinct cities in India. The empirical study carried out in cities of Delhi and Lucknow reveals that there are significant differences in women’s mobility patterns between two cities in terms access mode, egress mode, and trip purpose. It was found that women in Delhi have a high level of concern about safety at metro stations whereas women in Lucknow placed less emphasis on metro station safety. Access time and egress time were more significant for women in Delhi while travel time and waiting time were more significant for women in Lucknow. Key Words: Women’s Mobility, Mobility Patterns, Structural Equation Modelling, Women’s Safety, Public Transport 1. INTRODUCTION The significant increase in the number of private vehicles has resulted in a slew of issues, including pollution and time and money loss. Encouragement of public transportation is proposed as a long-term option to meet travel demand while reducing the use of private vehicles. Passengers who are satisfied with public transportation are more likely to continue using it; also, the public transportation system can improve its mode share by boosting passenger satisfaction. Paying extra attention to service quality can play an important role in both catering to existing customers and attracting new transit users [1][2]. To assess public transport users’ satisfaction, there are objective and subjective dimensions that are evaluated using performance indicators (e.g., reliability and capacity) or by understanding users’ perceptions, respectively [3]. Public transport user survey is typically used to collect the subjective component. The key determinant of customer happiness and an important component of any system is users’ experience [1]. The users’ experience measures the gap between expected and perceived performance [4]. Following WWII, significant changes occurred in the economic and social roles of women. For example, the number of women obtaining a driver’s license and entering into the labour field has dramatically grown [5], resulting in more trips by women. Gender roles and lifestyles have altered in emerging countries such as India, as in developed countries. In India, men and women’s roles at work and at home have become more similar in recent decades. Men and women may exhibit different behavioral tendencies in transportation, as they do in other disciplines [6]. Previous research on gender disparities in transit, such as riding behavior [7] and public transport usage [8], has focused on the effects of gender on transit. Researchers examine user variables such as gender in transportation research and policymaking [9]. Since the late 1970s, gender- based analysis has assisted policymakers in developing more personalized approaches to increase transit use [10]. Men and women travel differently, have different expectations, and have different perceptions of public transportation [9]. Wachs emphasized the significance of gender differences in mobility [11]. Tsami and Nathanail discovered that lower fares, more frequent lines, and more trustworthy public transit are needed by women [1]. Rojo et al. created a model to distinguish behavioral differences between male and female transportation consumers. They analyses gender variations in assessment of interurban bus service quality; results show that women favour safety on the road, bus seat comfort, and timeliness [12]. Hatamzadeh et al. conducted a gender-based investigation to discover differences in walking behavior in an Iranian metropolis [6][13], discovering that women are more sensitive to walking distances [6]. Another study found that security (against crime and harassment) is a significant concern that can influence women's use of public transportation, which is highly debated around the world [14][15]. While numerous studies and pieces of research have been attempted globally on gender-based inequities within a particular study region, however very little effort has been focused to analyse how user perception towards public transport service quality differs between cities with diverse geographies, systems of government and service availability