The very dynamic development of inland water transport has disrupted the balance of the transport system. Maintaining its balance would require increasing the importance of rail transport and inland navigation, which, due to their lower environmental impact compared to road transport and their small share in generating external costs, are the most socially friendly. Another problem of European transport policy is the territorial limitation, which is a barrier to infrastructure development, as well as the demand for passenger and freight transport in the face of economic integration and globalization processes.The solution to these problems may be the development of inland and coastal navigation.
POLISH INLAND WATER NAVIGATION VS. INLAND NAVIGATION
IN OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES – IS IT EASIER FOR OTHERS? Inland water navigation is an important alternative mode of transport that is environmentally friendly and allows for the transport of goods equivalent to 14 to 500 trucks, and its cost is about 10 euros per 1000 tonne-kilometers[10]. Transporting goods by inland waterways is safer (lower probability of collisions than on land roads), especially for hazardous materials and chemicals, and it is not considered too slow a mode of transport in Western Europe at all [2]. However, despite this, only 7% of cargo is transported by inland waterways in European Union countries (79% by land and 15% by rail) [8].
Social Academy of Sciences in Lodz
(…)
The article contains 10650 characters.
Source: Logistyka Magazine 6/2011
The validity of investments in inland navigation in Poland – PDF file for download