Atmospheric emissions of anthropogenic origin are one of the most important problems in cities. A particularly discrete ecological footprint in urban environment is made by urban freight transport. This problem has become the key challenge for all stakeholder groups involved in freight transport in urban areas. Over the recent years, there has been a growing interest in using alternative fuel vehicles in urban logistics, including those equipped with electric drive systems. This paper presents a multi-criteria analysis (MCA) of selected electric vehicles (EVs) in the context of their application for the purposes of deliveries in cities. In methodological terms, we present a unique MCA-based approach for evaluation of Electric Freight Vehicles (EFVs). A successful attempt is made to build a multistep MCA procedure based on two carefully selected MCDA methods (PROMETHEE II and fuzzy TOPSIS) to handle both certain and uncertain data sets in a single decision process. In practical terms, we successfully demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed approach by creating a set of decision maker's preference models (based on certain and uncertain data) of carefully selected EFVs and provide sensitivity and robustness analyses of the obtained solutions.
Urban areas are centres of business and innovation. Freight transport is indispensable for the proper functioning of any modern urban society. Urban areas cannot function without an appropriate freight transport system, due to the need to replenish stocks of food and other goods in retail shops. The complexity of the decisions concerning implementation of measures to improve the movement of goods in the city requires tools designed to support this process. In this context, a research gap and a research problem occur-how to obtain a reliable set of factors for development of sustainable urban freight transport (UFT). The purpose of this article is to introduce the possibility of applying the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) as well as the Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory Method (DEMATEL) in choosing a set of measures and in analysing the field of distribution logistics, which will help to solve delivery problems and streamline cargo flow in Szczecin, in the context of sustainable development. This paper presents the findings of a survey in which experts evaluate the main coefficients for sustainable freight transport in the city area. Using both AHP and DEMATEL methods, we have concluded that: (i) all coefficients from administrative, financial, technical and promotional measures are highly interconnected; (ii) strategy of freight transport development should take into consideration how these coefficients influence each other; (iii) P2-eco-driving trainings, T4-alternative delivery systems and P1-promotional campaigns for sustainable transport are the most important criteria and should be priorities for investments; (iv) A1-implementation of loading/unloading and transit restrictions-highly influences other coefficients; (v) T2-intelligent route guidance in freight transport is greatly influenced by them.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.