Transition to low carbon public transportation system within the scope of sustainable urban mobility and cost-benefit analysis: Antalya province case

This study aims to evaluate the economic, environmental, and social impacts of the transition to low-carbon public transport systems within the context of sustainable urban mobility using the cost-benefit analysis method. The environmental crises, increasing energy consumption, and fossil fuel dependency faced by today's cities necessitate transformation policies aimed at reducing carbon emissions in public transportation systems. In this context, the research has addressed the feasibility of converting the existing diesel and LPG-fueled bus fleet to electric buses in the example of Antalya province, considering both short-term and long-term effects within a multidimensional analysis framework. In the research, sustainable urban mobility was primarily examined theoretically; current practices in the literature and international policies were analyzed, and successful examples of low-carbon public transportation systems were studied. In the practical part of the study, the environmental performance of electric buses was comparatively analyzed with their economic costs and benefits using data from the public transportation system of Antalya province. In this context, the benefit-cost analysis considered environmental benefits such as the reduction in carbon emissions, improvement in air quality, and public health gains, while the cost components analyzed included vehicle procurement, infrastructure investment, and operating expenses. The study findings revealed that although the initial investment costs of electric buses are higher than those of fossil fuel vehicles, they are more advantageous in terms of economic sustainability in the long run due to lower operating expenses and environmental benefits. Additionally, it has been determined that carbon emissions will significantly decrease, leading to the conclusion that this will have positive effects on urban air quality and public health.