Insularity, Accessibility, and Affordability of Transport Services in Greek Islands

Abstract

This article investigates three critical parameters that influence the sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development of the island areas in Greece: insularity, accessibility, and affordability. First, the index of insularity is calculated as the ratio between the generalised transport cost (from/to the mainland country) and the estimated population. The accessibility index is calculated as the sum of all freight transport flows within each island regional unit and between them and each other regional unit of the country, weighted by the generalised transport costs. The unaffordability index is expressed as the ratio of the average monthly household expenditure on private transport to the average total monthly household expenditure in island regions. The geographical mapping and the numerical results of the analysis demonstrate the strong spatial heterogeneity of the calculated indices, and the necessity of reducing interregional and intraregional transport costs, in order to mitigate the impact of insularity and to increase the accessibility of the small- and medium-size islands. Appropriate policies include the expansion of the measure of transport equivalent for fuels, the restructuring of the overall transport network among and to/from islands, and the strengthening of the local public transport systems, the management of transport demand and the promotion of energy transition in the transport sector in the island areas. These policies, combined with high productivity investments in physical and human capital, are expected to improve the conditions of market competition, the standards of living, and the equitable growth of businesses in the island regions.