Evaluation of a Sustainable Urban Transportation System in Terms of Traffic Congestion—A Case Study in Taxila, Pakistan

• Published in: Sustainability 2022-10, Vol.14 (19), p.12325
• Main Authors: Raza, Arsalan, Ali, Muhammad Umair, Ullah, Ubaid, Fayaz, Muhammad, Alvi, Muhammad Junaid, Kallu, Karam Dad, Zafar, Amad, Nengroo, Sarvar Hussain
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Case studies; Climate change; Decision making; Infrastructure (Economics); Intersections; Local transit; Multiple criterion; Parking; Social networks; Software; Surveys; Sustainability; Sustainable development; Sustainable transportation; Sustainable urban development; Traffic congestion; Traffic control; Traffic delay; Traffic regulations; Transportation; Transportation authorities; Transportation industry; Transportation policy; Transportation systems; Urban transportation; Urbanization
• ISSN: 2071-1050; 2071-1050
• DOI: 10.3390/su141912325

Traffic delays are not wholly new and are a well-known problem that impacts many of the world’s populations through disruptions and pollution. The rising urbanization and quantity of powered road vehicles necessitate a greater traffic control demand to maintain flow and avoid jams. In order to understand the notion of sustainable transportation, this study first examined sustainable transportation systems. This research then assessed Pakistan’s present transportation infrastructure and urban transportation to find the most reasonable and sustainable alternative to reduce congestion. The Taxila intersection was utilized as a pilot study area because of its vicinity to Pakistan’s leading economic hubs (i.e., industrial estates and the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi). The study used multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) techniques, including the fuzzy AHP, TOPSIS, VIKOR, and traffic simulation software, to determine the optimal solution for a more sustainable transportation system, and reducing traffic congestion. A pairwise comparison of the criteria and alternatives was made using a survey. This survey was used to look into the perspectives of various stakeholders and experts. The outcomes of the fuzzy AHP-TOPSIS and fuzzy AHP-VIKOR revealed that a flyover is the best alternative. In contrast, the best alternative, according to the software was a parking area. Ultimately, we assessed our results using the literature, and site observation, and concluded that a parking area would be the most sustainable alternative in the Taxila intersection.