Gender differences in perceived metro station service quality in post-COVID19 pandemic era

The objective of this work is to investigate gender differences in metro passengers’ perceptions of station service quality. Specifically, the paper aims at verifying differences between males and females in perceiving aspects characterizing metro stations in post-COVID19 pandemic era focusing on aspects such as comfort, cleanliness, and aesthetics. Several statistical analyses are adopted to analyze experimental data and to discover differences in terms of gender. A more specific objective is determining the importance given by the two different categories of users to the various aspects characterizing metro station. Data were collected through a sample survey addressed to passengers of a metro line of Naples (in southern Italy), and were analyzed by Ordered Logit models. We discovered interesting findings about gender differences. Females are more sensitive than males concerning service quality in metro station. The findings from the models could be useful for planners, who should invest on those aspects considered as important by both the categories, but also on the aspects that determine an inequality between males and females. As an example, since women give a particular importance to cleanliness and comfort, planners could improve these aspects.