An integrated grey AHP-MOORA model for ameliorating public transport service quality

Introduction: Public transport systems provide essential mobility service to citizens who do not have access to private cars. Public transport also plays a significant role in minimizing road congestions, air pollution, journey time and energy consumption. Public transport service quality need efficient strategic plans to be able to increase user’s satisfaction and attract non-user’s. Objectives: To achieve this target, a combined model of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) with Multi Objective Optimization Method by Ratio Analysis (MOORA) based on grey optimization has been adopted, as a case study, the public bus transport system in Budapest, Hungary has been opted. Methods: The weight scores of the evaluation criteria are conducted based on transport experts' assessments. When the studies in the literature are reviewed, it is observed that the success of the MOORA technique about decision making is remarkable. Also, there is not an agreed and validated grey MOORA technique in the literature. Thus, an integrated grey AHP and grey MOORA technique is proposed in this study to evaluate the public transport service quality. Grey based multi-criteria decision making methods are very useful to decrease the subjectivity of the decision makers. Results: The importance of criteria has been computed by conducting grey AHP approach while the alternatives that have been preferred mostly within the certain criteria have been estimated by adopting grey MOORA method. Finally, the findings of the proposed model shed the light on “Provide new buses” as the most desired alternative for developing the service quality of public bus transport in Budapest. Conclusion: The proposed model provides reliable and robust results for improving public transport service quality. The local government representatives in Budapest may use the obtained results in their future strategic plans for developing public bus transport system.