https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4464-0600
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ABSTRACT
The location of East African ports, along with difficulties in building and maintaining effective road corridors, has led to the consideration of intermodal transport through Short Sea Shipping (SSS) as an alternative for load transport. However, this potential solution is dependent on the ports as consolidation load centres and on the configuration of transport networks. This paper provides a method to evaluate the performance of East African ports in their role as a hub for the intermodal chain. Specifically, through an assessment of port indicators ad hoc, the method jointly evaluates the performance of the hinterland’s capillary haul and port operations. The proposed indicators aggregately consider attributes of time and cost and compare competitiveness for ports’ current status with standard parameters. The application of the method to East African ports reveals that their tariff structure should be adapted to the operative reality of SSS. In addition, the loading time has not proven to be as determinant as the pre-berthing waiting time in the effectiveness of the intermodal chains.
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to the Editor and the reviewers for spending their time reviewing our work. Their comments have been essential to improve the manuscript. Also, we would like to thank the World Bank Group for partially funding the work collected in this publication.
Glossary
Subscripts:
A={1,.,a}Different stretches that integrate the intermodal chains: land and sea leg.
C={1,.,c}Set of cost items considered to reach the minimum-required freight in maritime transport: amortization costs, financing costs, insurance costs, maintenance costs, crew costs, fuel costs, ship duties in port, load duties in port, pilot duties, towing duties, mooring duties, and loading costs.
D={1,.,d}The land destinations (nodes) for the transport network
K={1,.,k}The unloading ports (hubs)
M={1,.,m}The loading ports (hubs)
PP={1,.,p}Kinds of cargo capacity: TEUs, trucks.
Q={1,.,q}Type of vessel (Feeder, Ro–Ro and Ro–Pax vessel)
SS={1,.,s}Different stretches that integrate shipping time in the intermodal chains: sailing time, port pilot time and tug service time
Z={1,.,z}The land origins (nodes) for the transport network
Variables:
BorderTime invested in crossing the border
CKUnitary cost per kilometer (€/kM)
CMUmqCost of intermodal chain (€/(t×trip)) ∀m∈M ∧ ∀q∈Q
CMUSqCost of intermodal chain for standard values (€/(t×trip)) ∀m∈M ∧ ∀q∈Q
CMUaCost of one transport mode integrated in an intermodal chain (€/(t×trip)); ∀a∈A
CTcCost of the items that comprise the minimum required freight for maritime transport (€); ∀c∈C
DMThe maritime distance of the route (kM)
DRzmThe capillary haul distance for intermodal chains (kM); ∀z∈Z ∧ ∀m∈M
DRkdThe capillary haul distance for intermodal chains (kM); ∀k∈K ∧ ∀d∈D
GTGross Tonnage of vessels (t)
MaxMaximum daily driving time (h)
PpWeight of cargo units (t); ∀p∈PP
RestMinimum driving rest (h)
TTime invested in capillary hauls at land for intermodal chains (h);
TBqKinds of fleets; ∀q∈Q
TLLoading time in port (h)
TMTime invested in the maritime stretch of an intermodal chain (h)
TMTmqTime invested in intermodal transport (h) ∀m∈M ∧ ∀q∈Q
TMTSqTime invested in intermodal transport (h) ∀q∈Q
TPTime invested in port operations (h)
TSThe shipping time (h)
TSsThe time invested in the stretches that comprise the shipping time (h); ∀s∈SS
TWThe waiting time in port (h)
XzThe relative probability of delivering a cargo unit (%); ∀z∈Z
XdThe relative probability of receiving a cargo unit (%); ∀d∈D
VTMaximum permitted speed for the truck (kM/h)
Notes
1. Copper will be considered a container good in this analysis.