RELIABILITY OF LOGISTICS CHAINS IN FOREIGN TRADE OPERATIONS

The aim of the paper is to justify the decision on cooperation with entities in the transport service market for foreign trade operations based on the assessment of logistics chain reliability and shipping time on different routes. The research findings will enable cargo owners and other stakeholders to make management decisions at the delivery planning stage optimizing all processes related to customs and logistics services. Methods. We assess the reliability of four logistics chain types based on a simulation model developed in the GPSS software environment using the method of statistical testing. Results. Customs and logistics service users challenge entities in the transport service market with the task of performing foreign trade operations in compliance with the highest level of quality and service reliability minimizing the cost of delivery and shipping time. The proposed method allows determining the probability of timely delivery of goods in different transportation directions as well as the reliability of the studied process. Scientific novelty. The obtained simulation results will make it possible to work out proposals and recommendations for customs and logistics service users on the choice of an optimal logistics chain type, taking into account its impact on shipping time and reliability of goods delivery. Practical value. The practical value of the research is that the proposed method will allow foreign economic entities to form logistics chains, taking into account available resources and the need to use the services of other companies in international goods delivery. In this case, the efficiency of a logistics chain can be further assessed by the shipping time and reliability for export/import operations.

Trends for sustainable development of ecomobility transportation systems

Background: Nowadays, the transport industry faces unconventional challenges such as the need to modify the transport service and reduce dependence on resource leverage. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the decline in business activity associated with the pandemic crisis and, as a result, the drop in demand and prices for hydrocarbon fuel in the medium term until the end of the crisis. Also, the implementation of a forward-looking transport policy has a close relationship with the economic category of time, since the value of time, converted into speed, shifts the emphasis of value from the initial price of the purchased transport service to the total cost of owning it. The railway transport system of the Russian Federation, as one of the leaders of the world transport system, has every opportunity to actively participate in global restructuring in response to the global climate and environmental crises. Aim: Determination of the relationship between the adoption of a sustainable development policy and the effectiveness of the implementation of projects for the development of backbone infrastructure in Russia. We confirm that the activities of transport companies within the framework of the established sustainable development goals (hereinafter referred to as ESG Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance) contributes to the improvement of their operational activity. Methods: The research methodology is based on the analysis of international approaches and assessment criteria for ESG factors using analytical procedures to identify cause-and-effect relationships of the strategy for the development of railway transport in the Russian Federation within the framework of ESG. The information base of the study is based on an analysis of reports from international organizations and data from JSC Russian Railways in terms of funding, expected prospects and effects. Results: as a result of the study, the conditions for the transformation of the sustainable development of railway transport systems in the world and in the Russian Federation were determined against the background of changes in the geography and structure of commodity markets, favorable prospects were established from the direct participation of business in the implementation and implementation of the goals and objectives of sustainable development. Conclusion: on the basis of the study, an assessment was made of the benchmarks of JSC Russian Railways in the sustainable development strategy. In order to implement environmental infrastructure projects, the parameters of the compliance of the strategy for the development of railway transport in Russia with the goals of sustainable growth have been established.

Traffic calming in historic city centres - a case study

The aim of the paper is to compare the existing transport service solutions in the city centers of Bydgoszcz (Poland) and Hasselt (Belgium) that use the widely understood idea of calming the movement. The method of elaboration consisted of analyzes of the literature on the subject of the article, analyzes of available documents and local visits. The solution has been operating in Hasselt since September 2018, and in Bydgoszcz also since September, but 2019. Analyzed solutions in terms of traffic calming goals in these areas, implemented principles, methods used and traffic calming measures that are to lead to a consensus between traffic and the accessibility of the area and making centers living areas. The analyzes carried out confirm that the primary effect of leading to obtain areas centers as areas of “livable city" is to eliminate traffic not associated with a given area, the implementation of restrictions on the availability of cars while maintaining accessibility to public and residential buildings and creating preferences in terms of accessibility for pedestrians, bicycles and public transport. In both cities significant attention was paid to shaping public spaces for pedestrians and development of street fronts with facilities for attractive functions for center users and tourists. Analyzed examples of Bydgoszcz and Hasselt show that the implementation of a separated cycling infrastructure in the historic structure of centers is very difficult. For achievement of “livable city", special emphasis is placed on functional solutions and forms of pedestrian areas, taking into account the requirements of conservation protection, aesthetics and road safety.

Independent Retailer Restocking Choices in Urban Goods Movement and Interaction Effects with Traditional Markets

Traditional markets play a key role in local supply chains in many countries, often influencing retailer decisions due to their inherent attractiveness. In contrast to restocking choices for retailers as part of large chains, choices of independent retailers driven by local traditional markets have not been widely researched and are not well understood. This paper analyses the factors influencing independent retailer restocking choices and investigates the interplay between the presence of traditional markets and retailer choices. Bandung city in Indonesia is chosen for the study where independent retailers are prevalent, and where a number of traditional markets are thriving. A retrospective questionnaire was used to capture independent retailer restocking behaviour and generation models were calibrated to arrive at the trip propensity. Discrete choice models were estimated to explain the retailer preferences for supplier location and transport service choice. Results indicate that trips generated by independent retailers are explained by the presence of traditional markets and retailers’ vehicle ownership, in addition to the standard variables such as number of persons employed, weekly goods demand and average shipment weight. As for restocking location choice, retailers are more likely to choose suppliers within a traditional market where the number of wholesaler units is larger. Furthermore, the choice of traditional markets has a positive influence on whether retailers choose to use their own vehicle to restock their shops.

Zone-Agnostic Greedy Taxi Dispatch Algorithm Based on Contextual Matching Matrix for Efficient Maximization of Revenue and Profit

This paper addresses the taxi fleet dispatch problem, which is critical for many transport service platforms such as Uber, Lyft, and Didi Chuxing. We focus on maximizing the revenue and profit a taxi platform can generate through the dispatch approaches designed with various criteria. We consider determining the proportion of taxi fleets to different destination zones given the expected rewards from the future states following the distribution decisions learned through reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms. We also take into account more straightforward greedy algorithms that look ahead fewer decision time steps in the future. Our dispatch decision algorithms commonly leverage contextual information and heuristics using a data structure called Contextual Matching Matrix (CMM). The key contribution of our paper is the insight into the trade-off between different design criteria. Primarily, through the evaluation with actual taxi operation data offered by Seoul Metropolitan Government, we challenge the natural expectation that the RL-based approaches yield the best result by showing that a lightweight greedy algorithm can have a competitive advantage. Moreover, we break the norm of dissecting the service area into sub-zones and show that matching passengers beyond arbitrary boundaries generates significantly higher operating income and profit.

Effect of Freight Transport Service Performance on Global Market Competitiveness

The producers, intermediaries, shippers, and consignees, located often thousands of miles distant from each other, require efficient transport and logistics services to get the right product with the right quality and quantity to the right place within the right time and above all at a right price. The main objective of this study was to assess the effect of freight transport service performance on international trade competitiveness. A descriptive research design was used. Secondary data were collected from international organizations' policy, standards documents, and annual report of the year 2018 by using the Logistic Performance Index rank. Moreover, a quantitative research approach was applied. The data were entered, manipulated, organized, and analyzed using Excel and Statistical Package for Social Science. Both descriptive and inferential analyses were used to identify and examine the extent of international trade competitiveness and its implication in the global market. As the result reviled the entire logistic performance factors such as Growth Domestic Product, Distance, Infrastructure, Landlocked, and Timelines were found to be significantly important to determine the global market competitiveness. But, the geographical distance between bilateral countries affected a country’s trade negatively. The top 10 higher Logistic Performance Index scores more competitive and better implementer of the effects of freight transport factors; whereas, the bottom scorers had an ineffective market link with their partners.