Abstract
Research background: Individual car transport significantly burdens the environment, especially in the centres of large cities. There is pollution, traffic jams and an increase in overall noise. In the area of passenger car transport, legislation is being significantly tightened. Therefore, there are also increasing demands on public transport operators in the Czech Republic. Previously, most of the fleet consisted of diesel vehicles. These have been gradually replaced by drives that are significantly more environmentally friendly, such as the Compressed natural gas drive. The requirements defined in relation to the reduction of vehicle emissions are increasingly stricter. A number of cities, not only within the European Union, are addressing significant issues concerning the future of public transport. Purpose of the article: The main objective of the article is to demonstrate an in-depth analysis of the operation of transport vehicles in the Statutory City of Ostrava, both from the cost and environmental point of view. The comparison of transport means using CNG, electric and diesel propulsion is made. Specific factors such as the route profile or the environmental impact of the mode of transport are also taken into account. The extent of the data processed and the multidimensional nature of the assessment offer a unique analysis of the problem. The article provides an exact view of the advantages and disadvantages of operating specific means of transport. Everything is based on data on transport operations in the city of Ostrava (the Czech Republic, EU). Methods: The comprehensive evaluation is based on the application of methods from the field of financial accounting, evaluation of measured data from the operation of transport means and, last but not least, on the analysis of empirical data from the given area. The analysed data set is unique due to the time period, as is the multi-criteria evaluation methodology. Findings & value added: The analysis performed demonstrated the economic viability of operating CNG vehicles. The main added value of the article is the unique multi-criteria evaluation procedure for the vehicles. The paper shows the evaluation of a complex decision problem in the transport field in the form of a case study implemented in the city of Ostrava. The evaluation results then consider both cost and environmental factors, which can be described as a comprehensive and highly innovative approach. The defined assessment can then be applied to other European and world metropolises.
Highlights
Reserves of crude oil are continuously decreasing in parallel with growing population and increasing energy demand
Natural gas as transportation fuel is becoming the subject of interest nowadays, as the combustion of conventional fuel i.e. diesel and gasoline results in the harmful emissions that threaten the very survival of life on this planet (Semin & Bakar, 2008)
The compressed natural gas (CNG) drive is certainly suitable for vehicles that are operated continuously throughout the year
Summary
Reserves of crude oil are continuously decreasing in parallel with growing population and increasing energy demand. The transport sector with over one billion light-duty motor vehicles in operation is a major consumer of oil worldwide, increasing from 45.5% in 1973 to 59% in 2011, mainly in the form of gasoline and diesel (Khan et al, 2015). The energy crisis and serious environmental pollution around the world have triggered the development of low emission and high fuelefficient vehicle to become major research objective (Aslam et al, 2005; Sansyzbayeva et al, 2020). These two areas are essential for sustainable development (Piwowar, 2020)
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