Implementing the Best Shuttle Service to Be Purchased by Chinese Students Scholars Association - Report Example

Feasibility Study Table of Contents Executive Summary This report gives the results of a feasibility study carriedout on the best shuttle service option of CSSA as it chooses an airport shuttle services for new students. The options are: SuperShuttle, Prime Time Shuttle and Davies Airporter. The report proposes the use of SuperShuttle because it offers the least price, safe and comfortable in-car equipment, short waiting time and operation in convenient routes. The study evaluated all options in terms of price, in-car equipment, waiting time and routes. Introduction This feasibility study report provides an analysis of three purchasing options for Chinese Students Scholars Association (CSSA). CSSA is the largest Chinese association in Davis, California. The association is concerned with connecting China with USA in terms of cultural, academic and technological exchanges. The organisation seeks to purchase airport shuttle services for new students because airport shuttle is one of the quickest transportation channels. The choice of services will depend on various factors such as price, in-car equipment, waiting time and routes. Based on these factors, the association will choose among three options: Super Shuttle, Davis Airporter, and Prime Time Shuttle. Methodology This feasibility study paper will examine the three options of implementing the best shuttle service to be purchased by CSSA. Various criteria to be evaluated in the feasibility study include: Price In-car Equipment Waiting time Route This involves secondary research whereby the data of various aspects of the three options including price, in-car equipment, waiting time and routes are obtained from their respective websites. This data is then analysed in order to determine the best option. The analysis involves the use of a table to summarize the different aspects of the options in order to obtain a good visual representation and determine the best option. Conclusion This report concludes that the company should adopt the Shuttle services of Super Shuttle based on superiority in terms of the selected criteria as shown below: In terms of price, the company offers the least price compared to all other options ($17) In terms of in-car equipment, the company offers passengers child restraint system to provide safety for children and well-designed seatbelts to provide safety for adults In terms of routes, Super Shuttle operates in many airports and routes in United States. It operates in Sacramento and San Francisco Airports and the neighboring routes including Davies where CSSA is located. In terms of waiting time, the shuttle allows the shortest waiting time of only 15 minutes before picking up a passenger Recommendation In order to recommend the best option all the four factors assessed above will be considered. The chosen Airport should be serving routes that cover the entire California County and should have specific routes through Davis where CSSA is located so that it will be easy for CSSA to connect with new students arriving at USA. Therefore, Prime Time Shuttle is ruled out because it operates mainly in Southern California. Davis operates mainly in Sacramento and San Francisco; and mainly operates in Davis and Fairfield. However, prices should also be considered. Davis is a bit expensive compared to the other options, charging up to $23 for passengers from Sacramento Airport to Davis. Super Shuttle charges only $17 to most of its locations including Fairfield, Davis and the entire Sacramento metropolitan area. Super shuttle also has extra security equipments in its cars and takes the shortest waiting time of 15 minutes. Shared rides of Prime Time Shuttle take up to 20 minutes while Davis Airporter can take as long as 30 minutes before they pick their waiting passengers. Therefore, Super Shuttle is the best option for CSSA to choose. Discussion Comparison of the three options 1.1. Supper Shuttle Price The prices of Super Shuttle are maintained between public transportation and a private taxi cab prices. For instance, the price to San Francisco Airport from Fisherman’s Wharf is $17. The price for a public transit and a taxi cab are $8 and $54.69 respectively. Prices vary in different locations but that is a representative of prices in various cities located within USA, including California where CSSA is located. The image below shows the pricing of SuperShuttle Price of Super Shuttle (Super Shuttle, 2013) In-car Equipment Super Shuttle has normal seats with extra safety equipments. Child restraint seats are not provided for children in the cars but the company recommends caregivers to provide child restraint system for their children. The cars also have seatbelts in all seats. Waiting Time Once a passenger makes a reservation, Super Shuttle provides about 15-minute pick-up window – the time of waiting that a passenger waits from the time he/she makes a reservation to the time Super Shuttle van picks them up (SuperShuttle, 2013). Routes Super Shuttle is growing, and operated in various locations and airports across USA (SuperShuttle, 2013). Some of the locations that the company operates include: Austin-Bergstrom Airport, Baltimore/Washington International Airport, Denver International Airport, Kansas City International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Miami International Airport, Long Beach Airport CA, Sacramento International Airport, and San Francisco Airport (SuperShuttle, 2013). In total, the locations operated by Super Shuttle are 24. 1.2. Davis Airporter Price The prices of Davis Airporter from Sacramento International airport to various locations range from $21 to $135 dollars depending on the distance of each location from the airport. However, the average prices range from $65-$75. From San Francisco International Airport to various locations the prices range from $70-$135; but most routes range from $70-$80. The price from San Francisco International Airport to Davis the price is $85 while the price from Sacramento International Airport to Davis is $23 (Davis Airporter, 2013). The price range of the company to and from Sacramento International airport is indicated below: To or From ZIP CODE Number of Passengers in Party*   1 2 3 4 Over 4/EA Vallejo 94591 $75 $95 $115 $135 $20 Cordelia 94585 $70 $90 $110 $130 $20 Suisun 94585 $70 $90 $110 $130 $20 Green Valley 94585 $70 $90 $110 $130 $20 Fairfield 94533 $65 $85 $105 $125 $20 Travis AFB 94535 $65 $85 $105 $125 $20 Vacaville 95688, 95687 $55 $75 $95 $115 $20 Dixon 95620 $50 $65 $80 $95 $15 Winters 95694 $50 $65 $80 $95 $15 Davis 95616, 95618 $23 $33 $43 $53 $10 Woodland 95776 $21 $31 $41 $51 $10 Granite Bay, Rancho Murieta $135 $165 $195 $225 $30 Prices of Davies Airporter (Davies Airporter, 2013) In-car Equipment Davies Airporters’ cars have big seats and large space for luggage. The cars also have large space to accommodate large number of people and lighting equipments to provide lights at night. The cars also have seatbelts to protect passengers. Waiting Time The waiting time for Davis Airporter is 15-20 minutes for a normal reservation and may take up-to 30 minutes for a short notice (Davis Airporter, 2013). However, taking passengers to their destinations or the airport takes a short time; but it depends on the destination or the distance between where the passenger is picked and the airport. Routes Davis Aiporter operates routes near Sacramento and San Francisco. It transports passengers from San Francisco and Sacramento to various routes, including Davis where CSSU is located (Davis Airporter, 2013). Other routes include: Fairfield, Travis AFB, Woodland, Green Valley, Vallejo, Suisun, etc. 1.3. Prime Time Shuttle Price The Prices of shuttle services of Prime Time Shuttle are half the prices of a taxi. In fact, many of the company’s shared ride services are under $20 (Prime Time Shuttle, 2013). However, this price varies from one location to another, depending on distance from the airport. For people who chose private vans, the prices are a bit higher at around $80-$135 depending on the route taken and the distance from the Harbor or the Airport. In-car Equipment The Prime Time Shuttle provides more comfortable seats and plush pile carpeting which satisfy passengers more than vinyl mat interiors and vinyl seats. The seatbelts are well-designed that can be easily located on the seats. A cleaner-burning autogas technology is also being developed (Prime Time Shuttle, 2013). There are also clean windows that add comfort to rideshare of passengers. Waiting time The time that takes for a Prime Time Shuttle to pick a passenger from the time he/she makes a reservation varies depending on the traffic, but the latest that a Prime Time Shuttle shared ride can take is 20 minutes and the earliest can even be 5 minutes. Passengers are always picked on time and the cars may make at most 2 loops before it leaves an airport to pick passengers who are headed to the same destinations. Routes Prime Time Shuttle operates in many routes in Southern California. The company transports passengers from various airports and Harbors in California to their destinations in south California. Some of the airports include: San Diego Airport, Long Beach Airport, LAX Airport and Ontario International Airport (Prime Time Shuttle, 2013). Some of the Harbors served by the Prime Time Shuttle include: San Diego Harbor, Long Beach Harbor and Los Angeles Harbor. Assessment of the three options In order to make the best choice among the three options, it is important to assess the various aspects of the services provided by the three shuttle companies. The airport shuttle that provides affordable prices, operates in California (especially at the North where Davis city is located), has appropriate in-car equipments and short waiting time will be chosen. In order to make the most appropriate choice, the above factors can be summarized in a table against each airport shuttle service, and the service that is less costly and more convenient is chosen. The table below can be used to make an appropriate assessment regarding the three shuttle services being considered. Super Shuttle Davis Airporter Prime Time Shuttle Price Between public transportation and a private taxi cab prices $17 Range from $21-$135 Average = the average prices range from $65-$75 $23 to Davis Half the prices of a taxi At most $20 for shared rides In-car Equipment Normal seats with extra safety equipments Child Restraint System Seatbelts Big Seats with large space Lighting equipment Seatbelts Comfortable seats and plush pile carpeting Well-designed seatbelts A cleaner-burning autogas technology Waiting time About 15-minute pick-up window 15-20 minutes for a normal reservation and may take up-to 30 minutes for a short notice Shuttle’s shared ride can take 20 minutes and the earliest can even be 5 minutes. Route Operates 24 Airports Operates several routes North and South of California including San Francisco and Sacramento Santa Clara County, San Mateo City, San Francisco city, Sacramento metropolitan Area, Davies, Fairfield, Chico, Stockton, and Placerville Operates in many routes of California Mainly Sacramento and San Francisco Davis, Fairfield, Travis AFB, Woodland, Green Valley, Vallejo, Suisun Mainly Southern California Long Beach Airport, San Diego Airport, LAX Airport and Ontario International Airport. The table compares various features if the four airport shuttle services. From the table, it is clear that Prime Time Shuttle and Super Shuttle are the cheapest; Prime Time Shuttle offers about $20 or more for shared rides, while Super Shuttle offers an average of $17 for its routes. Davis Airporter offers up to $135, but most routes’ prices range from $65-$75 (Davis Airporter, 2013). Only two routes cost less than $30 including Davis which costs $23. In terms of in-Car Equipment, all the three types of airport shuttle has seat belts that are well designed to protect the passengers while keeping them comfortable as much as possible. Super Shuttle provides extra safety equipments including child restraint system which allows caregivers to enhance security for their children (Super Shuttle, 2013). Davis Airporter is enhanced with lighting equipment that provides lights at night with exciting colors which make the car elegant and attractive to use. The seats of Davis Airporter are also big and provide large space for passengers to feel comfortable. Prime Time Shuttle has comfortable seats and plush pile carpeting (Prime Time Shuttle, 2013). These make the cars comfortable and attractive. The Seatbelts are also well-designed to provide extra comfort. A cleaner-burning autogas technology is also being introduced to reduce energy use and enhance comfort in the car. The waiting time for Super Shuttle is only $15 dollars; passengers waiting for only 15 minutes before they are picked from the airport or from their homes, hotels and offices after they have made their reservations (SuperShuttle, 2013). This is referred to as 15-minute pick-up window. Davis Airporter takes 15-20 minutes before it picks its passengers once they make their normal reservations. They may take even up to 30 minutes in case of short notice. Prime Time Shuttle has a waiting time of 20 minutes for shared rides, and as low as 5 minutes for private vans. Compared to other airport shuttle services, Prime Time Shuttle is consistent in its waiting time and most of their cars pick their passengers after exactly 20 minutes of their reservations. Routes are also important elements when choosing an appropriate shuttle service. CSSA is based in Davis, CA. Therefore, it should choose services offered in California, mainly in Sacramento and San Francisco or Northern California. Super Shuttle operates in many airports in USA and takes various routes. It is one of the largest airport shuttles in USA and occupies almost everywhere in California. The Super Shuttle cars that serve Sacramento International Airport operate within the larger Sacramento Metropolitan area and extend to the west to Fairfield through Davis in Yolo County. Davis Airporter also serves routes within Sacramento International Airport and San Francisco International Airport (Davis Airporter, 2013). The routes include Davis, Fairfield, Travis AFB, Woodland and Suisun among others. Finally, Prime Time shuttle operates mainly in Southern California and serves Long Beach Airport, San Diego Airport, LAX Airport and Ontario International Airport. References Davis Airporter (2013). Rates. Accessed November 20, 2013 from https://www.davisairporter.com/index2.html Prime Time Shuttle (2013). Airports Shuttle and Transportation to Lax Services. Accessed November 20, 2013 from http://www.primetimeshuttle.com/ SuperShuttle (2013). Locations: Super Shuttle Sacramento (SMF) Airport Shuttle Service, Sacramento, CA. Accessed November 20, 2013 from http://www.supershuttle.com/Locations/SMFAirportShuttleSacramento.aspx Appendices Prices of Davies Airporter from San Francisco International Airport To or From ZIP CODE Number of Passengers in Party*   1 2 3 4 Over 4/EA Vallejo 94591 $75 $100 $125 $150 $25 Cordelia 94585 $70 $90 $110 $130 $20 Suisun 94585 $70 $90 $110 $130 $20 Green Valley 94585 $70 $90 $110 $130 $20 Fairfield 94533 $70 $90 $110 $130 $20 Travis AFB 94535 $70 $90 $110 $130 $25 Vacaville 95688, 95687 $75 $100 $125 $150 $25 Dixon 95620 $80 $105 $130 $155 $25 Winters 95694 $80 $105 $130 $155 $25 Davis 95616, 95618 $85 $110 $135 $160 $25 Woodland 95776 $90 $115 $140 $165 $25 N. Sacramento 95610, 95621, 95628, 95661, 95662, 95677, 95678, 95765, 95843 $125 $155 $185 $215 $30 (Rocklin, Roseville, Orangevale, FairOaks, Citrus Heights) E. Sacramento 95652, 95608, 95630, 95660, 95670, 95673, 95742, 95821, 95838, 95841, 95842 $115 $145 $175 $205 $30 (Carmichael, Rancho Cordova, N. Highlands, Folsom) Sacramento 95619, 95824, 95814-19, 95822-26, 95831-34, 95864, $105 $135 $165 $195 $30 (W. Sacramento, Downtown) S. Sacramento 95758, 95624 $125 $155 $185 $215 $30 (Elk Grove) Granite Bay, Rancho Murieta $135 $165 $195 $225 $30 Read More