Complementarity to rail, road and river transport service of goods (Policy Brief 288 - September 2012)
The transportation of goods is currently enrolled in an increasingly globalized economy strong and is marked by four factors likely to destabilize: the need to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, the expected increase oil prices, economic competition becoming stronger and the structural difficulties of rail freight.
- Complementarity to rail, road and river freight service
The various services it offers will not be sustainable if they are competitive, or for those who receive subsidies that are intended to reduce, if they improve their productivity.
These findings require particular conduct research to develop solutions that ensure environmental quality and social organizations logistics and transport services.
Public policy in favor of intermodality, but also freight rail and river, developed in recent years by using the levers of intervention more varied pricing adapted to the use of infrastructure, subsidies certain modes or projects (combined transport, maritime highways and railways) and implementation of policies, often local, related to the establishment of logistics centers or, by extension, production centers.
But it is clear that the shift towards complementary modes of the road (and river iron) over medium distances or long faces certain constraints (time, new providers in the supply chain, some additional costs, etc.. ) that involve a proactive and high quality service to overcome them.
The contribution of research and innovation, analysis of strengths and weaknesses to develop alternatives to the road and the experiments carried out will determine the possible directions of public policy to encourage modal shift.
Summary
- Freight transport and difficult articulation of modes
- Achievements and innovative experiments
- Author: Christine Raynard, Sustainable Development Department .
Keywords: transportation, compémentarité modal, intermodal, rail, inland waterways, alternative to the road.