Evaluation of vehicular emissions reduction strategies using a novel hybrid method integrating BWM, Q methodology and ER approach

• Published in: Environment, development and sustainability Vol. 24; no. 10; pp. 11576 - 11614
• Main Authors: Ganji, S. S., Ahangar, A. N., Bandari, Samaneh Jamshidi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-10-2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Air pollution; Approach roads; Carbon dioxide; Civil engineering; Decision making; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Economic conditions; Economic Geology; Economic Growth; Emissions; Emissions control; Environment; Environmental Economics; Environmental Management; Evaluation; Evidential reasoning; Greenhouse gases; Inconsistency; Methodology; Methods; Mitigation; Public transportation; Regulation; Regulations; Research methodology; Road transport; Road transportation; Socioeconomic factors; Socioeconomics; Sustainable Development; System effectiveness; Traffic management; Traffic planning; Transportation management; Travel demand; Uncertainty; Underpotential deposition; Urban planning; Vehicle emissions; Iran; Road transport emission reduction strategies (RTERS); Fuel quality improvement; Evidential reasoning (ER) approach; Best–worst method (BWM); Q-methodology (QM)
• ISSN: 1387-585X; 1573-2975
• DOI: 10.1007/s10668-021-01912-0

Road transportation is the main source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Iran. Different road transport emissions reduction strategies (RTERS) can be defined to address this environmental problem. The present study aims to define a comprehensive set of RTERS according to the socio-economic conditions of Iran. Then, the defined strategies are evaluated using a new hybrid decision-making technique developed by integrating the conventional Q-methodology (QM), best–worst method (BWM) and evidential reasoning (ER) approach. The main advantages of the developed methodology include: simple Q-sorting, the capability of checking inconsistency ratio of judgments and dealing with uncertainty. A set of thirty-three RTERS was defined and then categorized into the following seven main strategies, including travel demand management (TDM), public transport management (PTM), traffic flow management (TFM), education, urban planning and development (UPD), and governmental rules and regulations (GRR). These strategies were assessed based on the views of twenty-three experts and government officials. Five perspectives on the importance of RTERS were derived using BWM and QM: 1—PTM-FCM, 2—UPD, 3—TDM, 4—FCM-PTM and 5—FCM. Finally, the ER approach was employed to aggregate these viewpoints. The aggregated perspective highlights that improving fuel quality and HOV systems are the most effective RTERS, while the mitigation policies based on deterrent rules and regulations are the least effective strategies. Accordingly, some managerial implications and suggestions are provided in this study.