India's public transportation system: the repercussions of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has left scars on the Indian public transportation system. In order to regain its original momentum, policymakers will need to assess the barriers hindering the effectiveness of the public transportation sector. In this regard, this article analyzes the various factors affecting the public transportation sector in India and determines their interrelationships. The research is presented in three steps. First, we review the literature to identify the factors that affect the public transportation system in India. Next, we propose an integrated model of grey-DEMATEL and ANP, grey-DANP, to calculate the priority ranking and weight of the factors. The grey-DEMATEL method is used to find the interrelationships among the factors, while ANP determines the local and global weights of the factors to form a priority order. Then, we present the interrelationships in the form of influential relation maps. Furthermore, we provide a sensitivity analysis to enhance the credibility of our study. The paper reveals that governmental regulations are the most influential factors in India's public transportation system. The transportation authorities and policymakers must also focus on improving the financial stability and enhancing the customer's trust in the public transportation system. The framework provided in this paper can be applied to other countries where similar hindrances in the public transportation system have been caused by COVID-19.