A decision analysis framework for intermodal transport: Comparing fuel price increases and the internalisation of external costs

This paper presents the impact of fuel price increases on the market area of intermodal transport terminals. Aim of this research is to determine whether an increase in fuel prices is sufficient enough to raise the market area of intermodal transport to the same degree that would be accomplished by stimulating intermodal transport through policy instruments. Therefore, several fuel price scenarios are analysed in order to verify the impact of different fuel price evolutions on the market area of unimodal road transport compared to intermodal transport in Belgium. The LAMBIT-model (Location Analysis for Belgian Intermodal Terminals), which is a GIS-based model (Macharis and Pekin, 2008), is used to analyse the different fuel price increases and enables a visualisation of the impact on the market area. The LAMBIT model incorporates the different network layers for each transport mode by setting up a GIS network that includes four different layers: the road network, the rail network, the inland waterways network and the final haulage network. The geographic locations of the intermodal terminals and the port of Antwerp are added as nodes in the network and the Belgian municipality centres are defined and connected to the different network layers. Based on the different fuel price scenarios representing respectively a fuel price increase with 10% (low price case), 50% (business as usual case) and 90% (high price case), the results of the LAMBIT model show that the market areas rise in favour of intermodal barge/road and intermodal rail/road. Depending on the scenario, the degree of modal shift however differs. Additionally, in order to compare policy measures with the effect of a fuel price increase, the internalisation of the external costs is analysed with the LAMBIT model. For some years, the European Commission is supporting the idea that transportation costs should reflect the true impacts on environment and society, and is relentlessly pushing towards the so called ‘internalisation of external costs’ as a policy instrument in order to establish fair and efficient pricing of different transport modes. This requires monetarizing the external effects of transport and adding them to the already internalized costs in order to give the correct price signals. Results of this comparative analysis performed with the LAMBIT model are also presented in this paper.     

涉此领域，开口有益

人们常说知识就是力量，如果此旬格言千真万确，那么在油气行业中，通讯将是其成功的关键因素     

一港飞架东西

自巴拿马运河管理局两年前宣布修建第三组船闸以来，许多行业观察家都怀疑巴拿马运河管理局是否过于野心勃勃。为了支付修建第三组船闸的费用，巴拿马运河计划增加通行费。此举是否会增加其它航线的竞争力？巴拿马运河管理局如何将项目成本控制在52．5亿美元以下，同时又保证项目如期竣工？     

Do mergers and alliances influence European shipping and port competition?

In Europe, ports are confronted with a closer integration in the maritime and shipping industries. The co-operation agreements can take several forms such as alliances and mergers among shipping lines, conferences, involvement of shipping companies in terminal management, and extending interests in inland transport of shipping companies. In this paper we give a brief overview of these different types of agreement and we examine the consequences of this evolution of the market structures in which ports and shipping companies have to operate. More specifically, attention goes to the competitive position of the port in this new environment. It is clear that the role of the port and the port authorities has to be redefined to guarantee that it remains a fully fledged player in this fast evolving integrated market.     

地图如何更新

地图更新的速度和内容,以及更新的便利性,是导航电子地图在产品面与功能面外另一项竞争力的体现。在国外,导航电子地图的用户当需要时或遇到旧版软件内容错误,就可立即联网更新内容,而且使用者认证和升级程序全是自动进行,就像下载歌曲一样方便。     

F1 DNA回归——考斯沃斯回归F1

2006年,他们发现40年来首次在F1里没了位置。这段经历教会公司别把鸡蛋放在一个篮子里。而现在,他们回来了,北安普顿郡的汽车公园又一次高朋满座。