Value creation in urban freight logistics

Abstract

Deliveries of goods and services to residents, businesses, and industrial facilities are essential to the functioning of cities all over the world. Research on this subject has also increased recently given the increased awareness of practitioners and policy makers throughout the world. There is also an increased acceptance that commodities movement in cities is very crucial part of society. Contrary to passenger transportation, freight movement systems are extremely complicated since multiple agents are involved in decision-making at each level as discussed later in the report. Moreover, most cities in developing nations have an uneven distribution of urban space, complex land use patterns, mixed traffic conditions and a high prevalence of non-motorized vehicle coupled with a lack of traffic discipline resulting in inefficient urban logistics. Due to inadequate infrastructure, significant socioeconomic differences between urban and non-urban areas, and chaotic peripheral expansion, managing urban freight transit in developing countries is more challenging than in wealthy countries. As a result, cities in developing nations cannot immediately replicate the methods and strategies used to manage urban freight transit in wealthy countries. Hence, It is vital to come up with unique methods to increase the effectiveness of urban freight transport in these places. This study aims at understanding the challenges and proposing solutions. An inefficient urban freight transport system could otherwise impede their ability to grow economically.