Short Sea Shipping in the Age of Sustainable Development and Information Technology

This book provides a thorough understanding of Short Sea Shipping (SSS) and its role in transport chains, presenting a revision of EU policies for SSS. Infrastructure and equipment required for the success of SSS are discussed, including critical features of modern roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) ships and terminals. Models are proposed for the evaluation of transportation demand in SSS, including the potential effects of external costs, and its results are used within the scope of methods for Ro-Ro ship and fleet sizing. A discussion of methods used to calculate such costs is provided, and a comparison of aggregated demand with and without internalisation of external costs is carried out, pointing towards solutions for greening freight transportation. Applications of multi-criteria decision-making and simulation techniques to supply chains based on SSS are presented. The role of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the promotion of SSS is also discussed. A number of case studies illustrate the different research methods and techniques. This book is a useful resource for students and researchers studying transportation, as well as policymakers and practitioners involved in this field and anyone with an interest in the promotion of environmentally sound transport solutions.