GAUGING THE EFFICIENCY OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN KARACHI: AN APPLICATION OF DATA ENVELOPMENT ANALYSIS (DEA)

Abstract

Karachi is the leading metropolitan in Pakistan with the largest population and some additional attributes, including Transport intensity, and diverse business operations. The rising population increases the pressure on transport demand and to meet such mandates it is the responsibility of the state to ensure the supply of quality transport which is economically feasible and environmentally sustainable. BRTS was initiated to improve the quality of life through value addition in the existing transport. The rising trend of building BRTS is briskly on the rise in emerging countries across the world. The outcrop of shipping in big cities pursues to increase economic growth and alter the city's image for dwellers and interlopers. The goal of this research is to look at the use of the best possible substitute energy-saving methods in public transport. A decision-making efficiency analysis approach is used for the comparative study of both orthodox fuel and hybrid bus systems for Karachi city. In this paper, the application of an energy-based bus system is investigated in comparison to customary public transportation services in Karachi on a specific route. Except for one midway portion, the hybrid Bus system's efficiency remained better or comparable to the conventional value of 1. The study found that BRTs are sustainable solutions for big cities and they can be used instead of the customary bus system and it will serve as an energy-efficient and environmentally beneficial way out of public transport. The government of Sindh should promote such types of projects for the sustainable future of Karachi and its inhabitants.

Keywords: Data Envelopment Analysis, Bus Rapid Transit, Green Line.