Analysis of Hybrid MCDM Methods for the Performance Assessment and Ranking Public Transport Sector: A Case Study

Abstract

The quality of the public transport sector affects the economy and the daily livelihoods of passengers. One of the most important objectives of policymakers is to choose the influencing criteria for performance evaluations. A variety of factors are crucial for raising the standards of public transportation services. In this investigation, we used a decision-based model with uncertainty in order to identify significant criteria in the public transport sector. We also performed a comparative analysis to rank the Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC) bus depots based on their performance using hybrid multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques such as TOPSIS, VIKOR, and ELECTRE. To handle judgement ambiguities, in this work we incorporated the Delphi method (DM) and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), along with fuzzy set theory. The fuzzy Delphi method was used to filter the important criteria. Using a fuzzy AHP approach, the screening criterion weights and rankings were determined. Furthermore, the bus depots were ranked using TOPSIS, VIKOR, and ELECTRE. Our findings can be applied in assisting policy-managers in formulating appropriate policies targeted at improving the overall health and competitiveness of bus depots using significant criteria and associated key indicators. In this study we investigated performance measures and proposed recommendations for the sustainable development of transportation in India.