Combining multicriteria analysis and tabu search for dial-a-ride problems

In the Dial-a-Ride Problem (DARP) the aim is to design vehicle routes for a set of users who must be transported between given origin and destination pairs, subject to a variety of side constraints. The standard DARP objective is cost minimization. In addition to cost, the objectives considered in this paper include three terms related to quality of service. This gives rise to a multicriteria problem. The problem is solved by means of a flexible and simple metaheuristic which efficiently integrates the reference point method for multicriteria optimization within a tabu search mechanism. Extensive tests were performed on randomly generated data and on real-life data provided by a major transporter in the Montreal area. Results indicate that the algorithm can yield a rich set of non-dominated solutions. It can also be employed to determine good trade-offs between cost and quality of service.

► Several cities provide dial-a-ride services to people with reduced mobility.
► Cost and quality of service are two important criteria to consider in the optimization of the performance of such services.
► We have developed an algorithm combining multicriteria analysis and tabu search.
► Results on real-life instances illustrate how trade-offs between cost and several quality of service criteria can be achieved.