Port governance reforms in diversified institutional frameworks : generic solutions, implementation asymmetries

2010-2011 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalAccepted ManuscriptPublishe

The spatial characteristics of inland transport hubs: evidences from Southern India

This paper investigates the spatial characteristics of inland transport hubs with evidence from the users' choice of dry ports in cargo exportation in Southern India. The findings indicate that the current solution, where shippers often choose dry ports located closest to their production base, is not the optimal solution in terms of the minimisation of transport cost, mainly due to government policies and dry port's inability in providing value-added services to shippers. This study provides important insight on the major attributes in explaining the spatial characteristics of inland transport hubs, especially in developing countries

Government policies, efficiency and competitiveness: The case of dry ports in India

Rapid economic growth in India demanded quality logistical services, implying that dry ports, often characterized by inefficiency, would play pivotal roles. While the Indian government attempted to address this problem by introducing foreign private participation, at the same time, it upheld its social-democratic tradition where local operators and interests should not be edged out by external competition. Hence, it is the endeavour of this paper to investigate how the Indian government resolved these contradictory issues and provided insight on how political influences could shape an industry's competitive structure, especially in developing economies

Assessing the Attractiveness of Ports in the North European Container Transhipment Market: An Agenda for Future Research in Port Competition

Persistent development in global trade has significantly increased the demand for liner shipping, of which the industry is now being characterised by larger vessel size, comprehensive geographical coverage and frequent restructuring of shipping lines like transhipment. In turn, this has led to tense port competition, and port attractiveness is playing a pivotal role in this aspect. Understanding this and using container transhipment as a case study, this paper investigates the attractiveness of the major ports in Northern Europe acting as transhipment hubs. Through a Likert-style questionnaire directed towards the top 30 shipping lines, it was found that Hamburg and Rotterdam are the most attractive options acting as transhipment hubs within Northern Europe, with Antwerp and Bremerhaven closely behind. Felixstowe and Le Havre are the least attractive options requiring substantial improvements to change the current situation. In general, the opinion of shipping lines in port attractiveness seems to be in accordance to their decisions on transhipment hub choices. It is believed that this paper can shed some light on the attractiveness of major North European ports and the methodology of assessing port attractiveness, as well as providing a springboard for further research related to port competition. Maritime Economics & Logistics (2006) 8, 234–250. doi:10.1057/palgrave.mel.9100158

Ranking and causes of inefficiency of container seaports in South-Eastern Europe

Purpose: This paper aims at benchmarking, measuring and identifying major determinants of the technical efficiency of container seaports in the region of South-Eastern Europe, including the Italian ports which directly affect competition in the wider region of East Mediterranean Sea. Methods: The study employs both non-parametric (standard and super-efficiency DEA) models and bootstrapped parametric techniques to provide a more holistic approach and useful insight into the given problem. Results and conclusions: The results indicate the relatively low (below 50 %) average total technical efficiency of the container ports in the study region, which can be attributed to both the lack of managerial skills and scale effects. The findings can help to determine sources of port inefficiency by geographical location and size and adopt best practices to improve the operational performance of container ports. © 2012 The Author(s)