DEA Approach to Assess the Efficiency Assessment of Major Wholesale Markets in Case City of Jaipur, North India

Trade hubs and wholesale markets are major freight handling/generating areas in cities involved in urban and regional goods distribution. Freight transport infrastructure is capital intensive which requires due diligence to get maximum benefits and efficiency with overall sustainable city development. Due to the scarce availability of land in urban areas, there is a need for optimum usage of freight handling areas in cities. This research study aims to compare the performance and efficiency of different wholesale markets of Jaipur City in India. This research paper is based on an empirical study carried out in the city of Jaipur. The paper assesses the efficiency of five major freight handling areas in case a city using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method. Primary data for operational efficiency of freight handling areas supplemented by secondary data for the year 2019 is used for DEA analysis. DEA CRS-based efficiency model is used for assessing the efficiency analysis of freight handling areas. A sensitivity analysis of parameters has been carried out to assess the robustness of the results. Based on the findings, recommendations were made at the policy level to improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of freight management.