Evaluation of public transportation sustainability factors in Twin Cities of Pakistan: A DEMATEL analysis

Abstract

This study proposes a decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) approach for the evaluation of public transportation (PT) sustainability factors in Pakistan. The methodology both explores the priorities PT sustainability factors and lists cause and effect groups. After briefly reviewing the related literature, the PT sustainability framework is constructed, and the DEMATEL-based multiple-criteria decision analysis (MCDM) approach is introduced. Our methodology is then applied to evaluate PT sustainability factors in the Twin Cities (Islamabad, Rawalpindi) of Pakistan. A sensitivity analysis is also performed by assigning different weights to decision-makers. The results reveal the following: 1) Traffic congestion, infrastructure and aesthetics are the most prominent factors for PT sustainability. 2) Air pollution, infrastructure, accident damage, affordability, and aesthetics are in the cause group. 3) Traffic congestion, accessibility, and human health impact are consistently in the effect group, emphasizing their secondary nature. Their resolution depends on tackling the problems in the cause group. 4) Although environmental factors such as air pollution emerge as the most significant causal factor, they are ranked lower in significance.