Analytical hierarchy process (AHP) for the selection of vehicles in city taxi services: The case of Ağrı province

Multi-criteria decision-making methods (MCDM) are employed to determine the best choice and ranking in decision-making problems. These methods can be applied in various fields. In this study, the selection of commercial taxis providing taxi services within city transportation, which is an integral part of the growing transportation sector, is addressed. The preferred MCDM method investigated in this context is the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), which is considered one of the most suitable methods for solving problems involving subjective data. The main objective of this thesis is to analyze the criteria when selecting commercial taxis used in urban transportation in Ağrı province and the choice of models using MCDM methods. Moreover, the alternatives and criteria required for the AHP method were determined using experts and literature review. These criteria include price, fuel efficiency, weather conditions, service availability, spare parts price, engine power, trunk volume, comfort, brand, and engine transmission. There are six alternatives, namely Dacia, Fiat, Renault, Ford, Toyota, and Hyundai. The determined criteria and alternatives were solved with the AHP method in the implementation phase, and the ranking of the best alternative was made. During these rankings and selection processes, the opinions of the experts were combined and analyzed with the AHP implementation steps. According to the results, the top three criteria in terms of importance weights are fuel efficiency, price, and spare parts price. The top three alternatives are Fiat, Dacia, and Hyundai. Based on these rankings, predictions can be made regarding vehicle investments to be made in Ağrı province and similar regions for vehicle sales. Similarly, it is observed that it is possible to reach a conclusion using MCDM methods and AHP in selection and ranking issues in specific topics.