Analysis of hinterland transport strategies when exporting perishable products

Abstract

Since a good hinterland connection is considered an important factor in port competitiveness, the objective of this paper is to analyse the impact of the development of hinterland transport strategies on the competitiveness of the port by taking the Port of Cape Town, the Republic of South Africa as an example. The development of transport strategies is reflected in terms of a lower cost and higher frequency of inland transport. To investigate the interplay among export products, transport, and access to a port for exporters, we use a linear programming model. The model considers both the choice of transport modes and the impacts of improved inland transport strategies. The model could easily be extended to deal with other modes or transport alternatives. It is assumed that, initially, two modes of transport – trucks and railway − are available for transportation of the export product from the farm to the port. The analysis is extended by including intermodal transportation as a combination of railway and road transport. The results of the analysis show that improving the rail services and offering more frequent rail services from the farm to the port, could lead to a better and more flexible transportation strategy. Keywords: port competitiveness, inland hinterland, dry ports, perishable products, intermodal transport, linear programming