Possibilities of Using Inland Navigation to Improve Efficiency of Urban and Interurban Freight Transport with the Use of the River Information Services (RIS) System—Case Study

Inland navigation is hardly ever used to transport cargo in cities. In most urban areas, it is performed almost exclusively via road transport, with the virtual exclusion of rail and inland transport. Research and implementation projects in several European cities have shown that employing inland navigation is a viable alternative for road transport in urban areas. The research involved a case study of transporting the same number of 40-foot containers by inland waterway and road and then comparing the results in terms of transport time, transport costs, and carbon dioxide emissions between two metropolitan areas in Poland. The article shows that River Information Services (RIS) system can contribute to improving freight transport efficiency not only on longer routes, but also in urban and inter-urban conditions. The findings were that inland shipping is much cheaper and more environmentally friendly, but transport takes much longer and is not always possible due to insufficient waterway infrastructure. The paper can be used as a road map to proceed with new approach to planning urban and inter-urban logistics, with the use of inland navigation supported by the RIS system. The study delivers evidence that the main benefits of using RIS for urban logistics are: optimization of the cargo route, improved supervision and control of cargo transport, optimization of inter-branch transport, optimization of the use of fleet, more efficient use of technical infrastructure of waterways, combination of many recipients/senders into one transport, and reduction of administrative barriers.

Influence of integration processes on the functioning and the development of inland waterway transport market

The article presents the importance of integration processes in the functioning of the inland waterway transport market. The structure of port services was characterized and their individual segments were distinguished. The meaning and differences of intra-and inter-branch integration of inland waterway transport are presented. In addition, two examples of solutions are discussed that are used in the organization and management of transport processes and having a significant impact on the integration of all participants of the inland waterway transport market. These examples are the River Information Services RIS and Single Window. The aim of the article is to analysis the impact of integration processes on the development and changes in the inland waterway transport functioning as an element of integrated transport systems. The features and benefits for the transport system resulting from integration within the inland waterway transport system, but also with other systems and the environment, have been indicated.

Benefits and Problems of Monitoring the Waterway Transport on Danube and Danube Cruise Statistics Based on Monitoring the Pusher Tugboats

This article deals with benefits and problems of using GPS monitoring and Inland AIS, which is the part of river information services operating on Danube. It is based mainly on results and experience from monitoring of two pusher tugboats on Danube and Danube – Main – Rhine canal within the project Chemlog T&T. It also contains statistics of their navigation on particular Danube sections in up stream and down stream direction, such as transit durations between particular ports, proportion of speed in percentage in particular Danube sections and delays in lock chambers or in front of them.