Inter-provincial transportation of goods from Ho Chi Minh City in the context of the circular economy development

The circular economy is an economic model in which design, production, and service activities aim to extend the life of materials and eliminate negative environmental impacts. The transition to a circular economy is a great opportunity for sustainable development to achieve socio-economic and environmental goals and respond to climate change. For the logistics and transportation sector, promoting the demand for goods transported using low-emission modes of transport is also one solution that contributes to the common goal of sustainable development, especially in developing countries such as Vietnam. This study focuses on clarifying the criteria that make people in Ho Chi Minh City (the largest city and an important transport hub in Vietnam) choose inter-provincial freight transport services by road, a mode of transport that is considered to cause a relatively high emission rate. From there, these criteria will serve as the basis for proposing service improvement options for other low-emission modes of transport, thereby providing people with a variety of options for deciding to use inter-provincial freight transport services. The study was conducted using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) analysis to identify the five most important factors affecting the ability to choose inter-provincial freight services in Ho Chi Minh City, which are, respectively, convenience in delivery and receipt of goods, service provider reliability, supplier selection habits, the reduction of pressure on resource depletion and environmental pollution, and service delivery speed.