Search

Megacities in emerging markets are a relatively new phenomenon. The size of these cities combined with the high growth rates provides substantial sustainability challenges. Urban freight transport (UFT) contributes to these challenges. Despite its relatively low share as part of total traffic, the negative impact of UFT is disproportionate. Improving the sustainability in this context is inevitable in the light of further prospected urbanization. To study this topic, a theoretical framework is developed which is subsequently applied on literature. This allows characterizing the UFT system in a city. Such a framework is currently lacking. The framework is developed around the components of a UFT system (demand, supply and context) and the factors influencing these components. Factors include the different supply chains (demand), vehicles used (supply) and traffic measures (context). It is applied to analyze the UFT system in megacities in emerging markets. Results show that demand in different supply chains is fragmented as well as the transport. Uncontrolled sprawl and the existence of an informal economy further contribute to the complexity to regulate UFT. Based hereupon, we discuss efforts to move to more sustainable UFT in this context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The paper aims to analyse the awareness of projects implemented under freight quality partnership on the example of Szczecin. • The paper presents the results of a questionnaire-based research depicting levels of environmental awareness, manifested by various city logistics stakeholders' groups. • The results show in what manner different stakeholders' groups recognize and assess the FQP activities. As an idea, Freight Quality Partnership (FQP) has been worked on for a few years. Though most successfully implemented in the United Kingdom, these init6iatives were also positively implemented in other countries, amongst others under projects such as C-LIEGE. Presently, absence of analyses related to the FQP results awareness from the different city logistics stakeholders' perspective is observed. With almost 10 years of experience in developing the FQP in Szczecin, the Authors conclude that this issue is of critical importance for future sustainable development and improvement of such initiatives. The paper focuses on analysis of the key city logistics stakeholders' environmental awareness in the context of projects implemented under the Freight Quality Partnership, based on the example of Szczecin (Poland). It is as the emanation of the social and economic priority – the sustainability concept. Based on the relevant literature review, the Authors made an attempt to identify the ecological utility of FQP activities. Further, the paper presents the results of a questionnaire-based research depicting levels of environmental awareness, manifested by various groups of UFT stakeholders in Szczecin. The research has been divided into two parts – the first focuses on internal FQP stakeholders (FQP members), and the second focuses on external FQP stakeholders (various city users and local authorities). The results show in what manner different stakeholders' groups recognize and assess the FQP activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

City users gladly apply comfortable and time-saving e-commerce solutions as an alternative to traditional purchase. The present pandemic crisis made this issue even more important. It significantly increased the number of transport operations within the city area, as each order has to be delivered directly to the purchaser. Consequently, city authorities are confronted with the important challenge: how to fulfil the expectations and needs of city users in the context of transport system functioning in view of reducing the negative impacts of urban freight transport in terms of safety, air pollution or noise. This is one of the most important elements of social sustainability in cities. One of the solutions that help reduce the negative environmental impacts of urban freight transport is making use of vehicles that produce less air pollution, such as electric vans. It proved to be very effective in decreasing transportation footprint by reducing local emissions of e.g. PM or NOx. However, one of the key limitations is the potential short driving range of such vehicles, which results from the battery capacity and charging infrastructure availability. In recent years, some analyses related to that issue have been made. Nevertheless, the studies have taken into account passenger cars only. This paper presents the results of the research study aimed at verification of electric vans energy efficiency in real-life conditions, i.e. when delivering courier consignments. The electric van used for the purposes of the experiment was Nissan eNV200. This paper fulfils the important knowledge gap and could be helpful from both theoretical and practical perspectives. It should be emphasised that the experiment was carried out in real-life conditions, i.e. in the course of performing business processes in one of the worldwide known CEP companies. The research study was carried out under the EUFAL international project, funded under the Electric Mobility Europe programme. The results of the research shown high potential of electric vehicles and usefulness of electromobility in last mile deliveries. The business partner of the research is now on the stage of electric freight vehicles implementation into vehicles fleets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The potential of EFVs in Turkey is much higher than the current adoption rates. • Additional stakeholders brought by EFVs increase the complexity of urban logistics. • Conducting Total Cost of Ownership projections on EFVs are problematic. • Uncertainties in regulations delay the diffusion of EFVs. • The adoption rate of EFVs can be increased with better information diffusion. Electric Freight Vehicles (EFVs) have a strong potential for urban freight transport and city logistics. Depending on the way electricity is produced, the deployment of EFVs could significantly reduce exhaust emissions and noise pollution in cities. However, the market share of EFVs in commercial fleets is far below the potential. There is also a lack of knowledge on specific technical and organizational issues faced by EFV adopters, particularly who are at an early stage of adoption. The aim of this paper is to obtain an in-depth understanding of the factors that influence the adoption of EFVs in urban freight transport fleets in Turkey. The analysis is based on review of literature and the feedback gathered from a workshop with relevant stakeholders, as a part of the activities realized under EUFAL (Electric urban freight and logistics) project, realized under the ERA-NET Cofound Electric Mobility Europe. The evaluation of workshop results shows that besides some persistent technical and operational issues, EFV adoption is limited by a clear lack of easily available and reliable information on factors affecting the EFV adoption decision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Sustainability of the urban freight transport can be enhanced by introducing sharing economy, including LCV-sharing. • LCV-sharing is an environmentally-friendly and economically justified way of obtaining means of transport. • Further development of LCV-sharing depends on availability of the service, its price and attitude to the sharing economy. Reliance on the sharing economy is becoming crucial to the functioning of modern cities. Certain sharing economy-based solutions can contribute to the development of sustainable urban freight transport by reducing the number of delivery vans in service and using green vehicles. This paper evaluates the potential of the sharing economy for freight deliveries in the Polish cities. The authors examine two types of sharing platform-based solutions for light commercial vehicles (LCV), namely LCV-sharing and crowdshipping, along with the general perception of sharing platforms by the Polish citizens and their motivation to use them. Two research methods have been employed. The multi-case study method has been applied to assess the LCV-sharing market and identify the best crowdshipping practices. General interest of the public in the sharing economy has been examined by means of a survey analysis. The results show that, albeit with little market presence, the LCV-sharing is continuously winning new customers in the major Polish cities. Provided by car-sharing operators who have expanded their offering with delivery vans, or by operators who target the freight market alone, the service is a more environmentally-friendly and economical alternative to leasing, especially for companies which do not need extensive use of delivery vans. Further development of LCV-sharing depends largely on availability of the service and its price, as well as on the general awareness of benefits from the sharing business model and the strengthening of confidence in it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The LFR system may be a solution that makes it possible to use rail haulage to serve the feeder function in UFT. • The LFR system as the innovative solution may become a real alternative to road transport. • Implementation of LFR in urban areas may become an important factor to foster the growth of SUFT. This article discusses the issues of rail freight transport functioning in urban areas. The main purpose of this article is to identify the conditions for implementing the Light Freight Railway (LFR) as an innovative solution for Sustainable Urban Freight Transport. To achieve the assumed goal, the following research methods were used: literature review, documentary method and Delphi method. The area covered by the research is the Szczecin Metropolitan Area, Poland. The study has demonstrated that despite the features that univocally determine the place and role of rail transport on the service market, it is important to implement innovative solutions that involve rail transport. The concept presented by the authors can help use railway to carry cargoes on short distances in urban areas. The proposed system is in line with the assumptions of sustainable development of transport. The conducted research has shown that implementation of the LFR is conditioned by a number of factors of technical and organisational nature, but it can contribute to achieving certain short- and long-term benefits. The LFR concept is an autonomous solution that can be implemented in individual urban areas, regardless of any solutions applied in other areas within a given transport chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We propose a new methodology for measuring and evaluating the environmental performance of logistics systems. • Value-added concept is used to classifies the consumption and waste processes of urban freight transportation systems. • Our methodology uses the Overall Greenness Performance (OGP) tool with a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model. • The approach is validated through a case study from a company in Colombia. Environmental sustainability is a requirement for modern urban freight transport systems. On a global scale, most resources are currently consumed in cities, contributing to the economic importance of urban freight transport as well as its poor environmental performance. However, there is a lack of knowledge about how to correctly quantify the environmental efficiency of urban freight systems. In this context, this paper proposes a new methodology for evaluating the environmental performance of urban freight transport systems by applying the Overall Greenness Performance (OGP) tool. OGP is a lean-based hierarchy of metrics that uses the value-added concept to relate a company's productivity with its environmental performance. The proposed methodology uses a mixed-integer linear programming model to assess the environmental impact of the activities and/or requirements in an urban freight transportation system. This paper examines how company context, the supply chain and value stream activity types, namely value adding, necessary but non-value adding and non-value adding, affect a system's performance, operational costs and environmental impact. Real data from the city of Bogotá, Colombia, were used to validate this approach. A sensitivity analysis was performed with different companies, demands and costs in order to evaluate the trade-offs between economic performance and environmental impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]