Ways of reducing the strong growth of road haulage traffic are discussed. Elasticities calculated by the research group GTM are derived from simulations of different price parameters for the ten NST-R freight categories run on a model of European multimodal freight transport networks. Highly detailed digitised maps of Belgian rail, road and inland waterway networks were incorporated into the corresponding (and less detailed) network maps for western Europe. The program accounts separately for each transport operation and the associated costs. In the present example the ten origin-destination matrices take account of all domestic flows within Belgium, imports and exports to and from Western Europe, and transit flows through the country. Simulations run at different cost levels enabled the calculation of the direct and cross-price elasticities of demand for transport. The results indicated that road haulage tonnage is inelastic, whereas the tonnes/km carried are elastic. Demand for rail transport is elastic but not as much as that for inland waterways. The elasticities are lower over long distances than over short distances, where the modes are less competitive. It is concluded that a large potential exists for the substitution of road haulage by rail and inland waterways. However qualitative factors play a major role in the decision to use one mode rather than another and a pricing and taxation policy would not alone be sufficient to secure desired modal shifts. More specific research is considered necessary. For a covering abstract for this conference see ITRD E128114.
Abstract