DATA VISUALIZATION FOR SUPPORTING INFORMED DECISION MAKING FOR SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVE FUEL BUS TECHNOLOGIES

Abstract

Compared to other transportation approaches, public transportation produces the most greenhouse gas emissions. There is a pressing need to comply with national guidelines outlined in Qatar's National Development Strategy 2 (QNDS-2; 2018-2022) and National Vision 2030, both of which outline Qatar's long-term national transformation plans, including the development of a modern transportation system (QNV 2030). An ecologically friendly transportation system was required to maintain transportation services that consider the environment, economy, and society. One method of accomplishing this is to install new environmentally friendly buses on the road. In order to provide the needed buses to be installed in terms of type and quantity and to calculate the cost and the returned benefits of the bus use, there was a need to implement the LCSA approach, then ensure that the results will be clearly illustrated, analyzed and visualized using business intelligence tools. Developing a business intelligence dashboard to evaluate the life cycle sustainability assessment of the alternative fuel buses utilizing a hybrid model is the primary topic of the thesis. A full LCSA study has been adopted data collected using EXIOBASES 3.4's MRIO database; then calculations were conducted and shown in the methods section to provide the outcomes of the AFBs in Qatar. Three different types of alternative fuel buses (AFB)s that have been adopted in this study which are the Electric Buses (EBs), compressed natural gas (CNG), and diesel buses (DBs). Because many policymakers and decision-makers find it difficult to grasp and evaluate the Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) results, and as a result of the massive amount of data collected, a complete platform was required to portray the outcomes in a way that decision-makers could easily look at them, recognize them, and decide. A business intelligence dashboard has been developed using Microsoft Power BI software to show LCSA data and emphasize the significance of interpretations and conclusions. Also, it will illustrate and develop a system that will provide informative results and lead to show multiple options ending with forming recommendations that enable decision-makers to make decisions toward selecting the most convenient types of alternative fuel buses. Then to end up assisting in influencing policymaking to allocate resources efficiently towards the most optimal alternative bus technology (CNG, Diesel, or Electric). The study links visuals to a user-friendly design and interactive dashboards using the results of standard LCSA objectives. In addition, a framework was established for potential development and enhancement. Finally, this study offers a novel decision-making platform based on the product life cycle.