Application of Data Envelopment Analysis in Identifying Milestones for Passenger and Freight Transportation Sustainability

This study is an attempt to quantify the concept of sustainable transportation. The countries are comparatively studied using a pioneer measure for Sustainable Development (SD) and elasticity, that reflects the conformity and harmony of the growths of all sectors with passenger and freight transportation. Firstly, the elasticity of the non-transportation variables, with respect to passenger and freight transportation ones, were developed. Using individual elasticities, composite sustainability indices were suggested. Then, utilizing the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) technique, two composite indices, as well as the national variables, are employed to achieve a unique SD efficiency score. Country groupings, based on composite indices, were developed for comparative appraisal. The methodology may be applied to any other time and geographic scope for addressing pertinent issues for the balancing and SD of transportation systems.