Community-Centered Evaluation of Rural Transportation Services: Insights from Lived Experiences along the Tehoru–Masohi Route

Fahmi Arif Sangaji; Soraya Rengifurwarin

Authors

Fahmi Arif Sangaji Universitas Darussalam Ambon, Indonesia
Soraya Rengifurwarin Universitas Darussalam Ambon, Indonesia

Keywords:

Community-Centered Evaluation, Lived Experience, Mobility Practices, Rural Transportation, Service Quality

Abstract

This study examines the quality of rural transportation services along the Tehoru–Masohi route in Central Maluku through a community-centered perspective that foregrounds users’ lived experiences. It seeks to reconceptualize service quality by exploring how communities perceive and negotiate mobility in everyday contexts, identifying gaps between expectations and actual practices, and analyzing the social, cultural, and contextual dimensions shaping transport experiences. A qualitative intrinsic case study design was employed, with data collected through in-depth interviews, participant observation, and stakeholder engagement. Thematic analysis was applied, supported by triangulation and reflexivity to ensure analytical rigor. The findings reveal that service quality extends beyond formal indicators such as punctuality and comfort, being deeply embedded in social relations, trust, flexibility, and adaptive practices. Despite infrastructural and operational limitations, services are often perceived as satisfactory due to strong social cohesion and culturally embedded values. However, a latent gap persists between modern service expectations and community-based transport realities. This study advances the concept of “community-centered service quality,” offering an alternative evaluative framework that integrates experiential and context-sensitive dimensions, with implications for inclusive and responsive transportation policy in rural and archipelagic regions.

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