Malmquist Productivity Index for Container Terminal

The current decade sees significant growth in worldwide seaborne container transportation and with it an essential need for optimization of its productivity.  Container ports and their terminals are required to remain competitive and able to handle the anticipated growth as there are huge challenges to increase its productivity, to reduce the spatial pressure and terminal congestion. The paper aims to analyse and measure the productivity of major container ports in Peninsular Malaysia. A non-parametric technique is employed to analyse and measure Malmquist productivity in estimating the utmost productive container terminals. The malmquist productivity results replicate the actual container ports productivity in line with resources within container terminals and obtained throughput. It is prove that current container terminals expansion by port operators in line with future demand. Keywords: Container terminal, DEA, Malmquist Productivity Inde

Efficiency of Operations in Container Terminals: A Frontier Method

Nowadays transporting cargo via containers are significant for every shipment. The movement of container involves multi modes to reach destination. In Malaysia, efficient transport networking systems are catalyst for container terminal in providing excellent services to their client. The paper focuses on the metamorphosis of the terminal efficiency and container movements at 6 major container terminals in Peninsular Malaysia. The aim is to analyse the efficiency of container terminals that contributes significant economic development in Peninsular Malaysia. Non parametric approach under frontier method is used to analyse panel data from 2003 to 2010 in relation with container terminal equipments and throughput. Result of the analysis shows no significant relationship between container terminal size and efficiency. Thus, efficiency is determined from allocation of resources efficiently by terminal operators and not by size of terminals. Keywords: Technical efficiency, Container terminal, Data envelopment analysis, Terminal productivity, Transportatio

A Tool for Appraising Mobility Environment with a Perfect Based Index Measure

Diverse methods, approaches and models have been employed in explaining mobility in both the urban and human context. However, there has been the ever-present drawback premised on data unavailability, “dyrtiness” or scantiness. More so, the techniques and parameters used, does not provide clues about mobility complexities engendered by attributes of “mobility environments”, as a result, determinants of mobility complexities are hardly fully described. To narrow the gap, it is conjectured that systematic evaluation of traveler perception of “mobility environments”, may provide hints about the degree to which specified spatial units enhance or hinder mobility, by rating such environment with a perception based index construct we hope will help improve assessments of “mobility environments”. This need is underscored by the necessity to explore alternative decision support tools, for mobility evaluations, especially where it may be implausible to apply advanced, high end, data hungry models of mobility evaluation. The method involved a two-pronged survey of transport professionals and randomly selected travelers. The professionals helped with “mobility environment” attributes identification and selection of contextually relevant ones from a list of potential attributes of influence, extracted from relevant literature using the Delphi method. Randomly selected travelers were in turn presented with the short listed attributes for rating on a five point Likert scale. Ratings were then used to determine attribute rankings and their commensurate index equivalents, as a basis for classification. Travelers indicated that a high activity mix, high road and pedestrian network density are good mobility enhancing qualities a city should possess. However, aggregate indexing indicated that enhancing development characteristics, mode characteristics, travel and economic attributes, are the most important for the study area. The measures are targeted at facilitating development of cost effective and parsimonious means of identifying urban mobility challenges by local authorities, to provide a strategic pathway for a city’s “mobility environments” qualities to be identified and objectively appraised, in order to satisfactorily target interventions at improving both the “mobility environment” and the quality of life of city inhabitants

A travel safety model for women commuters

One of the most serious discussions on the contemporary urban travel in Malaysia is that of the design facilities that have failed to meet the demand of women travelers. This has led to a higher level of concern for a much safer travelling environment for many women travelers within the Kuala Lumpur conurbation. The main aim of this research is to determine the factors of travel safety among women commuter. This empirical research has used the structural fear dimension model as the underpinning theory. A quantitative and personal administered approach through quota sampling was used to conduct the study in Kuala Lumpur urban area. A sample of 312 respondents were selected throughout the survey. The results indicates that only bus service, infrastructure had significantly affect the travel safety of women travelers but when comes to moderating variable effects, only the combination of bus service and infrastructure affect the travel safety of a women travelers

Factors influences residential location selection preferences toward future neighborhood

It is critical to study the travel behaviour of residents as it provides an understanding on what people do over space and how people use transportation within that space. The objective of this study is to identify the factors that determine residential location preferences towards future neighborhood selection. Current literature focuses on preferences in relation to physical and demographic aspects, such as ownership, income, land use, facilities as well as transportation services. However, this study suggests safety and cultural aspects which are likely to be significant in many contexts. In order to further investigate these suggestions, a case study has been carried out based on Iskandar Malaysia’s development region. A Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is applied to 384 household heads on their housing selection preferences. The result shows that there are significant relationships between residential location preferences and travel behaviour

The Application of the Tripod Beta Approach in Assessing the Effectiveness of the Port Security Measures in Compliance to the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code

Presently the port facility measures their compliance ISPS Code requirement is via periodical internal and external audit where documentations sampling are cross reference to the measures and procedures stipulated in the Port Facility Security Plan (PFSP). Unlike the safety related processes where the availability of positive performance measurement system allows an organization to determine the effectiveness of the system implementation and identification of level of performance. The absent of such system in the security environment leave questions on the method of determination on it effectiveness level, and how the port facility would positively identified gap(s) in the implementation without having to expect for accidents or attacks on the facility to occur, to determine the level of effectiveness. This research studies the various quality and quantity assessment process for determining risk and accident investigation tools used by the industry. From the tools available, Tripod-Beta accident investigation approach is identified as the most appropriate approach to measures the effectiveness of security measures and procedures implemented by the port facility. From there the audit measurement methodology was developed and tested on port facilities that complied to the ISPS Code requirement

An Understanding of Behavior Difference as for Students and Workers Using Public Transits in Chongqing, China

Various studies on students or workers using public transits have been conducted. However, few studies consider behavior difference between them under same context. This study intends to determine factors influencing students and workers using different public transits for elastic travel on weekends in Chongqing, for a better understanding of behavior difference between the two typical travel population in cities. This study utilized the data from Chongqing Travel Survey in 2015 for analysis. Two set of binary logistic regression model were employed for significant factor determination. The results showed that travel expense and time walking to station were the collective significant factors influencing students and workers using public transits for elastic travel in Chongqing. However, gender and travel purpose only significantly influenced students using public transits for elastic travel in Chongqing, and time walking to destination and travel comfort only significantly influenced workers using public transits for elastic travel in Chongqing. Besides that, based on the model results, this study revealed the behavior difference of students and workers in Chongqing using public transits for elastic travel. And the researching findings in this study aimed at providing an original direction of thinking for public transits operators about differentiating with students and workers to balance the traffic resource between bus and rail transit. Keywords: Balance, Behavior Difference, Chongqing, Elastic Travel, Public Transit

Understanding the neighbourhood choice decisions of movers: an analysis of focus group discussions

Using a qualitative methods approach, this study explores the key factors that influence household neighbourhood choice. Three newly developed residential neighbourhoods have been studied to examine resident decision making around their neighbourhood preferences. Four focus group (n = 4) discussions with 29 individuals who were recent movers to the study areas were conducted to examine the reasons behind neighbourhood choice and the needs of the household. The results revealed that household neighbourhood choice decisions were multi-faceted and complex. The key findings can be classified into six categories: safety, residential environment, neighbourhood facilities, accessibility, economic and demographic factors. Residents emphasised that the combination of land-use and transportation planning may be one important part of multi-layered solutions to improve quality of life in residential neighbourhoods