A comparative analysis of waste to energy scenarios to achieve sustainable smart mobility in the Durban Aerotropolis.

Abstract

The aim of this dissertation was to develop a multi-criteria decision making tool which could assist Transport Engineers at the eThekwini Municipality to decide which bus propulsion technology to select for Line C8 of the Go! Durban Bus Rapid Transit system, by taking into consideration Operational, Environmental, Social, Financial and Technical Sustainability indicators. The Transport, Reduction, Optimisation, Implementation, Scenario (T.R.O.I.S) model has been successfully developed using a Smart Fuel Scenario Assessment Matrix, Comparative Rank Analysis Scoring and Weighting factors to calculate an Average Weighted Score for each of the nine bus propulsion technologies which were identified during the Literature Review process in Chapter 2 of this dissertation. The Smart Fuel Scenario Assessment Matrix was developed by first identifying the CIVITAS Alternative Bus Fuel Framework (2016) as the most suitable inventory of Sustainability Indicators and Smart Fuel Scenarios, which was discovered during the Literature Review. This Framework of Sustainability Indicators and Smart Fuel Scenarios was modified and integrated into a Scenario Assessment Matrix, which enabled comparative analysis. A Microsoft Excel Interface has been developed to provide a pleasant user interface to be used by Transport Engineers at the eThekwini Transport Authority to decide as to which bus propulsion technology to select for Line C8 of the Go! Durban Bus Rapid Transit System which passes through Dube Tradeport and the King Shaka International Airport. The recommendation of this dissertation was for the eThekwini Transport Authority to select an Electric Trolley Bus system for Line C8 of the Go! Durban Bus Rapid Transit System. This recommendation outcome was obtained by using the weighting factors developed from the SMART Sustainability Indicator Assessment Matrix to produce an example of what an output of the T.R.O.I.S model would look like. The tool has been designed to be flexible, in that the user can adjust the weighting factor for each of the eleven Sustainability Indicators in the matrix based on the needs and resources available at the eThekwini Transport Authority. The T.R.O.I.S model can be continuously updated using the latest data for the various Sustainability Indicators as well as the addition of new indicators in future iterations of the model.