Sustainable route selection of petroleum transportation using a type-2 neutrosophic number based ITARA-EDAS model

Abstract

Accidents occurring in the process of petroleum transportation have dire consequences for the population and environment. In this study, the sustainable route selection problem has been addressed from the multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) perspective for the first time. The study aims to help planning authorities find the most sustainable route for petroleum transportation by introducing both practical and methodological evaluation frameworks for solving this global problem. Firstly, twelve key decision-making criteria were elaborated to provide a practical framework for the authorities. Secondly, we introduced an advanced decision-making tool based on the integration of the Indifference Threshold-based Attribute Ratio Analysis (ITARA) method and the Evaluation based on Distance from Average Solution (EDAS) method under the type-2 neutrosophic number (T2NN) environment. The T2NN-ITARA method was formulated to determine the semi-objective importance of the key decision-making criteria. The T2NN-EDAS method was developed to rank alternative routes and reveal the most sustainable solution. This research offers real-world guidelines for selecting the most sustainable transportation route for petroleum derivatives using a case study of the city of Belgrade. It is recommended to direct dangerous goods vehicles towards the outskirts of the city. Finally, the introduced T2NN-ITARA-EDAS model can be used to solve other complex MCDM problems.