Sustainability assessment of public transportation in Twin Cities of Pakistan: a DEMATEL analysis

Abstract

This study proposed a decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) approach for the analysis of public transportation (PT) sustainability factors in Pakistan. After briefly reviewing the related literature, the PT sustainability framework was constructed, and the DEMATEL-based multiple-criteria decision analysis (MCDM) approach was developed. The proposed methodology was then applied to evaluate PT in the Twin Cities of Pakistan. The results were presented along with a sensitivity analysis involving six scenarios. The results highlighted the following: 1) Traffic congestion, infrastructure and aesthetics emerged as the most prominent factors for PT sustainability. 2) Air pollution, infrastructure, accident damage, affordability, and aesthetics were among the factors in the cause group. 3) Traffic congestion, accessibility, and human health impact were consistently in the effect group, emphasizing their secondary nature. Their resolution depended on tackling the problems in the cause group. 4) Although environmental factors such as air pollution emerged as the most significant causal factor, they were ranked lower in significance. Therefore, although resolving air pollution was key to improving PT sustainability, its importance was not perceived fully.