Comparative Investigation of Normalization Techniques and Their Influence on MCDM Ranking – A Case Study

Urban traffic significantly contributes to air pollution, and its effects are expected to increase in the coming years. Environmental policy measures can help achieve long-term goals, in which new modes of mobility for residents can play a significant role. However, local-level decision-making is also crucial. In the face of economic volatility, cities must carefully decide on sustainable transportation expenditures that respect budget limitations and promote local air quality standards. To create a sustainable traffic strategy and address the rise in traffic demands due to increased passenger transport, the use of buses with alternative drive technologies and fuel options is becoming increasingly important in European cities. However, buses utilizing alternative drive technologies and fuel options have varying impacts on air pollution, and the required investments and expenses vary. To determine the appropriate propulsion technology and fuel for buses specifically in Nis, the analysis based on multiple criteria will be conducted using the CRITIC (Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation) and in the following TOPSIS (Technique for Order Performance by Similarity to Ideal Solution) methods according to the defined criteria. The CRITIC method utilizes different normalization types to compute weighting coefficients and analyze their effect on the alternative rankings. Additionally, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient will be used to examine the degree of correlation between the rankings of different alternative drive technologies and fuel options for buses, calculated through the TOPSIS method.