Some effects of hinterland infrastructure pricing on port competitiveness: case of Antwerp
Aronietis, R.; Markianidou, P.; Meersman, H.; Pauwels, T.; Pirenne, M.; Van de Voorde, E.; Vanelslander, T.; Verhetsel, A. (2010). Some effects of hinterland infrastructure pricing on port competitiveness: case of Antwerp, in: Proceedings of the 12th World Conference on Transport Research (WCTR), July 11-15, 2010, Lisbon, Portugal. pp. 1-23
In: (2010). Proceedings of the 12th World Conference on Transport Research (WCTR), July 11-15, 2010, Lisbon, Portugal. WCTRS: Lisbon. , more
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Document type: Conference paper
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| Keywords |
Environment > Urban environment > Urban hinterland
Interspecific relationships > Competition
Seaports
Belgium, Haven van Antwerpen
Marine/Coastal |
| Authors | | Top |
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- Pirenne, M., more
- Van de Voorde, E., more
- Vanelslander, T., more
- Verhetsel, A., more
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| Abstract |
Now, more than ever, issues of port competitiveness are important, also in a context of containerized cargo. In a survey conducted amongst major shipping lines, the quality of hinterland connections is the second most important criterion for competitiveness of a port after the cost factor. However, most seaports, major as well as smaller, are often affected by congestion on those hinterland links. This paper tries to assess some of the effects that infrastructure pricing can have on the competitiveness of the seaports.It is essential to identify the determinants of port competitiveness. In order to do that, a total of 30 literature sources were reviewed. Some older sources were reviewed, but the main attention is on the most recent literature. We focused on the criteria that other authors identify as important and also on the methodology that they use.In order to test the information obtained in the literature review and evaluate the criteria identified in the literature, interviews with shipping lines were held. Top management people were interviewed covering 11 shipping lines that operate 45.7% of the world fleet of container vessels. The input provided by respondents from shipping companies enabled us to identify decision makers in port selection, evaluate the importance of each port selection criterion for shipping companies, by applying those to a set of selected ports in Europe and compare their attractiveness. An evaluation by shipping companies of the importance and properties of different hinterland transport modes was obtained. According to the input provided by the respondents from shipping lines, the most important port competitiveness criteria for shipping companies are the cost of transport operations and the quality of hinterland connections. Previous research has shown that infrastructure pricing measures can be an efficient instrument for influencing the characteristics of the use of hinterland connections.With the help of the Freight Model Flanders, a number of purpose-made scenarios were run. The scenarios were based on possible developments in the economy and in other parts of worldwide logistics networks, as well as on possible policy that could be introduced by the government. For interpreting the results, an important hinterland link for the Port of Antwerp was chosen: motorway E313, which serves as a freight connection between the Port of Antwerp and Germany. It is in a geographical position where it features competition from both rail and inland waterways, especially in dealing with port-bound traffic.The results of this study show that not only in a Flemish context, but also in case of similar port hinterlands featuring strong road use and availability of rail and/or inland waterway infrastructure, pricing can be a factor that increases the competitiveness of the port. However, adverse effects are also possible in certain situations. The results are of high relevance to port authorities and policymakers in charge of alleviating port hinterland congestion problems. |
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