Efficiency measurement of bus routes and exogenous operating environment effects on efficiency
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
2016
Subject Area
mode - bus, place - asia, operations - performance, planning - service quality
Keywords
Bus routes, efficiency measurement, incentive regulation, data envelopment analysis, heterogeneous outputs, exogenous operating environment
Abstract
This study develops an independent efficiency measurement model framework of bus routes, so as to treat preferably the heterogeneous outputs in a data envelopment analysis (DEA)-based efficiency measurement. It then introduces four new exogenous operating environment factors at the microscopic level of bus routes, and applies the three-stage DEA approach to incorporate operating environment effects and statistical noise into the efficiency measurement framework. The main purpose is to measure impartially the managerial efficiency of bus routes, purged of operating environment effects and statistical noise, and additionally to investigate the operating environment effects on efficiency. An empirical analysis, based on 39 routes operated in Jiangyin City, China, is presented. The principal finding is that the adoption of the independent efficiency measurement model framework is reasonable and has many virtues. Moreover, the proposed approach could substantially provide decision support both for regulators and for producers of bus services. In addition, the operating environment does indeed significantly affect operating efficiency and quality efficiency, especially the latter.
Rights
Permission to publish the abstract has been given by Taylor&Francis, copyright remains with them.
Recommended Citation
Zhu, W., Yang, X., & Preston, J. (2016). Efficiency measurement of bus routes and exogenous operating environment effects on efficiency. Transportation Planning and Technology, Vol. 39(5), pp. 464-483.
