Abstract
This paper applies a methodology for computing external costs in an intermodal transport network that includes short sea shipping to explore the impact of external costs in its competitiveness. The network, which includes roads, freight railways, maritime and inland waterway connections, considers the specific characteristics of different transport alternatives and vehicle types, providing a fair comparison of the various modes. A case study focused on freight transportation between Northern Portugal and 75 destinations (NUTS2 regions) in north-western Europe is presented. The potential of different intermodal routes that include short sea shipping is assessed, including not only internal costs and times but also external costs per mode and unit of cargo. The impact of the different cost approaches in each country of transit is shown along with the progress that has been made in the integration of external costs, using the most recent EU estimates on marginal costs coverage ratios per country for freight transport modes. The results support the modal shift from road to sea in this corridor, providing means for modal comparison and for the development of short sea shipping’s image as a sustainable mode of transportation.
Highlights
Transport activities impose costs on society and the environment that are not fully taken in consideration in the decision-making process of transport users
The intermodal rail-based alternative D sees its competitiveness reduced by the large external costs associated with air pollutant emissions associated with the use of a diesel locomotive for which emission standards are lower when compared to other inland modes [15]
This paper has presented and applied a methodology to calculate the external costs of transportation in complex intermodal transportation chains that include several transport modes
Summary
Transport activities impose costs on society and the environment that are not fully taken in consideration in the decision-making process of transport users. Apart from the impact of air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), which have been tackled over the years by policies and regulations at the EU and international level, other costs, such as congestion, accidents or noise costs, are only starting to be addressed, and this occurs when, at the same time, transport demand is set to triple in the 30 years. This increase in transport volume will result in an increase in congestion costs by about 50% in 2050, as well as an increase in the costs of accidents and noise [1]. A substantial modal shift of freight transport from roads to other modes of transport has been one of the key objectives of the EU transport policy [2,3]
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