Accounting for air pollution emissions and transport policy in the measurement of the efficiency and effectiveness of bus transits

ABSTRACT

This study presents a two-stage network performance evaluation model that determines the efficiency and effectiveness of bus transit systems. The model accounts for non-storable service features, undesirable outputs, and transport policy factors. The Taipei bus transit system is presented as an empirical case to measure the performance of bus transits with and without consideration of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and the transfer of riders. The results show that CO₂ emissions and the transfer of riders are important factors for a performance evaluation model. Failure to include these results in an incomplete evaluation. Rather than focusing solely on marketable outputs, government agencies and managers must consider undesirable outputs or transport policy factors that relate to bus transits when measuring the efficiency and effectiveness of bus transits.

KEYWORDS:

• Efficiency
• effectiveness
• network DEA
• undesirable outputs
• air pollution emissions
• transfer policy

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, for its financial support for this research project under contract no. MOST 103-2410-H-126-017.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan [MOST 103-2410-H-126-017].