The Impact of the Development of Seaport Objective Functions for a Cargo Logistics System in Urban Areas, Illustrated with an Example of the Szczecin Metropolis

Abstract

The article presents the issues concerning the impact of a seaport on the port conurbation transport system. A seaport activity is related to the movement of goods, which undoubtedly increases cargo streams in the conurbation transport system. Thus, it can be concluded that the development of objective functions fulfilled in a seaport affect the conurbation transport system, including the logistics system for goods in this area. The second factor that affects the cargo logistics system in urban areas is the sectoral structure of cargo transport provided from the seaport as well as to the seaport.The article presents an analysis of the level of development of objective functions in the port of Szczecin and the sectoral structure of cargo transported by land to and from the hinterland of the seaport. The flows of cargo generated by these functions and their share in the Szczecin metropolitan transport system were analyzed. The analysis demonstrated that along with the development of the logistics distribution function, the amount of cargo generated in the seaport area, for which the place of delivery is the Szczecin urbanized area and other urban areas located at a distance of several dozen kilometers, increases. The analysis also showed which areas of the Szczecin conurbation are particularly burdened by cargo generated by the port of Szczecin and what sectoral and logistic solutions should improve the efficiency of cargo flows, both the transit ones and these which are delivered to the area of the city and neighboring towns.