1,720,994 research outputs found
A method to reveal supply chains in order to set up effective and sustainable city logistics solutions
No full textA current key challenge in the field of urban freight transport is creating value and business opportunities through city logistics. This requires an extensive knowledge of the composition of urban economic structure, organization and management of supply chains, and actors’ sensitivity to market signals. Within this context, the paper reports the findings of the LOGeco – LOGistica ecologica project. Within LOGeco, the authors developed a method to collect and analyze data in order to set up city logistics solutions based on existing supply chains, public-private cooperation and Business Opportunity Plans for the private sector. The method has been validated in a pedestrian area of the historic centre of Rome, the Renaissance district named «Tridente». The method consists of a survey technique which involves the following steps: a census of activities representing the sources of demand for urban freight transport and their characterization; sampling; web-based survey; database collection, analysis
Determinants of the Use of Safety Restraint Systems in Italy
Full text linkWearing a safety restraint system is one of the most effective measures to substantially reduce the risk of serious or fatal accidents. Despite their benefits, a survey in 2015 revealed that on average 62 out of 100 Italian front car occupants wore their seat belt and only 15% of the rear seat passengers were regularly wearing their seat belt. According to several studies, one's (driving) behaviour is based on a combination of attitudes toward the behaviour, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control. The present study aims at understanding factors contributing to the low wearing rates in Italy. The data used are based on a questionnaire survey carried out among a representative sample of more than 1.000 Italian drivers within the ESRA project (European Survey of Road users' safety Attitudes). The survey involved 17 European countries and covered several themes on (un)safe traffic behaviour and attitudes among which those related to the use of seat belts and child restraint systems. Two methods of investigation were adopted: the comparison between the Italian situation with the European best performers, pointing out the relevant difference with the included selected European Countries, and the use of regression models to study the association between several explanatory variables and self-declared behaviours related to the use of safety restraint systems. The main results show a high acceptability of risky behaviour in Italy and a relevant contribution of age and gender in shaping attitudes towards unsafe traffic behaviours. A number of recommendations are proposed to change people's unsafe behaviour and attitudes in Italy, providing both enforcement and voluntary (e.g. campaigns, education and training, incentives) measures
Agent-Based Simulation of urban goods distribution. A literature review
Full text linkAgent-based simulation (ABS) appears to be a suitable tool for research and application in the field of city logistics. In this paper, an attempt was made to classify the current literature on ABS in urban freight distribution following some homogeneity criteria. A set of six criteria was adopted and relevant papers were classified accordingly. It emerges that agent-based simulation models are suitable for use in simulating urban freight distribution, identifying a set of agents (at most, one agent per stakeholder) that operate to achieve their objectives, following rules, interacting, and learning from experience. However, this approach is still to be fully developed: the applications provided in the literature are only for test cases, refer to small study areas and a limited number of agents
Revealing urban goods movements: empirical evidences from some European cities
Full text linkThe paper compares the characteristics of urban freight transport in some European cities, implementing a methodology which uses similar interviews with retailers and transport operators. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the similarities and differences in terms of socio-economic characteristics and commercial structures, and current distribution patterns followed by different transport and logistics operators. The study shows the flexibility of the methodology used in different applicative contexts and points out that there are some different patterns of urban distribution that need to be taken into account when implementing city logistics measures
Accident data analysis and on-field inspections. Do they lead to similar conclusions?
Full text linkNetwork Safety Ranking and Road Assessment Programme (RAP) are two procedures used in road infrastructure safety management to rank the road sections of a network according to estimated road safety performance. The former uses indicators based on road accidents and their consequences while the latter method is based primarily on inspections of the road infrastructure. The aim of this study was to verify whether there is a relationship between the indicators used within these methods, in order to evaluate if and under which conditions RAP scores contribute to the prediction of accident numbers. The adopted approach is based on the calibration and analysis of a wide array of models in order to reproduce the observed events-injury road accidents, fatalities and injuries-with reference to different aggregations of the original data and in the two reference situations: with and without EuroRAP (European Road Assessment Programme) indicators. From the obtained results, the introduction of the EuroRAP indicators ends up making the models that explain the frequency of accidents more convincing from a statistical point of view. These indicators, which summarise the road safety performance of a road section, could prove useful in replacing the covariates (e.g. presence of intersections, geometrical and functional features of roads) that are used in the calibration of accident prediction models. However, it should be stressed that not all types of accident are addressed by the EuroRAP approach, and this may represent a limitation for those roadways where such kind of accidents are frequently observed, like rear-end collisions on motorways. Probably, by including these accident types, the explanatory power of the EuroRAP variables would increase, at least on motorways
Influence of psychological determinants on bus drivers’ risky behaviour and road traffic crashes along Yaounde-Douala highway Cameroon
No full textRoad traffic crashes (RTCs) are a significant cause of injury and mortality in Cameroon. Psychological factors are considered as determinants of risky driving behaviour which relate to road crash involvement. Previous researches have studied the association between psychological determinants and risky driving behaviour focusing on some psychological factors in developed countries. Very little has been done in developing countries in this regard and specifically, no known study has assessed the relationship between psychological determinants and risky driving behaviour among bus drivers in Cameroon. This cross-sectional descriptive and analytic study was conducted on 201 bus drivers. Structured questionnaires were administered to the study participants consisting of variables on demographics, psychological determinants, risky driving behaviour, and road crash involvement. Multiple regression analysis of the data collected depicted that, psychological determinants were predictive factors of risky driving behaviour. Social norms others acceptability of unsafe driving behaviour (SNOA) and risk awareness were significant predictors of risky driving behaviour. The results from binary logistic regression analysis revealed that risky driving behaviour is a high predictor of road crash involvement among bus drivers in Cameroon. Among the behavioural factors considered, violations and sleepiness were significant predictors of road crash involvement. The findings from this study on the association of psychological determinants and risky driving behaviour as it relates to road crash involvement are relevant in the development of safety intervention programs and policies
Strategies and Measures for Sustainable Urban Transport Systems
No full textIncreasing sustainability of urban transport systems is a crucial objective of all strategic plans both at national and European level. Different strategies and measures can be adopted to improve the efficiency of transport systems, according to a large set of factors that can affect the results of the implemented actions. A comprehensive study has been carried out in order to define a methodology able to define effective and efficient strategies and measures, allowing to increase the sustainability level of different kinds of cities, from small-medium sized to large metropolitan areas. The methodology has been tested on a group of 50 Italian cities, whose characteristics have been analysed through an initial set of more than 200 indicators. Three main groups of indicators have been taken into account: State indicators, Sustainability indicators, Policy indicators. The main aim has been to identify existing relationships between Sustainability and Policy indicators for cities showing commonalities in terms of State indicators. A correlation analysis allowed to identify 53 relevant indicators from the initial set of 200, while a cluster analysis, based on a hierarchical model, allowed to group the cities into five different groups, according to their population size and density. Correlations between relevant indicators have also been analysed within each group, while linear regression models have allowed to describe some functional relations between Policy and Sustainability indicators. A benchmarking exercise has allowed to identify strategies and measures adopted by the best performers within each group, hence defining possible paths to a better sustainability level for the remaining cities. Finally, recommendations for a correct urban mobility planning procedures have been produced
Assessing road safety data collection systems and definitions in Africa
No full textReliable and accurate data are a fundamental prerequisite to understand the magnitude of road safety problems in Africa and convince stakeholders to take certain actions. Reliable and accurate data are also needed to identify problems, risk factors and priority areas in order to formulate strategies, set targets and monitor performance. Towards this direction, the objective of the present paper is to outline the results of a relevant survey undertaken within the EU funded SaferAfrica project in order to assess the current situation of Africa in terms of road safety data collection systems and definitions. In total, 29 road safety stakeholders, either governmental representatives or independent experts, from 21 African countries participated in the survey. The assessment of the existing road safety data collection systems in African countries revealed similarities but mostly differences since besides the existence of formal systems for recording road accidents for almost all countries, the data collection practices from the road safety monitoring and evaluation points of view are addressed in various ways. Based on the stakeholders5 responses it was found that there is a significant demand for data and knowledge in order to be used for road safety-related decision making. Currently, such information is poorly available in African countries. This fact makes the work of road safety stakeholders difficult, therefore, their discontent was expressed. In several cases, it was found that stakeholders are not even aware of the availability status of items that they consider to be irrelevant to their work. Generally, stakeholders seem to be poorly informed about the availability of road safety data and tools. A number of the questioned issues for many African countries are collected for the first time and can be very useful to road safety decision-makers to take into consideration for future actions
Regionalization of ports as a strategic leverage to improve competitiveness. A study on central italy ports and related hinterland
Full text linkNowadays, the success of a maritime port does not depend anymore on its traditional intrinsic points of strength, such as the internal capacity, but also on its ability to effectively integrate the development of its hinterland into business relations and supply chains. Mediterranean ports can get competitive, if specific "regionalization" processes are launched and supported. Key point for this strategy is the hinterland involvement: logistics and transports integration, railways, realization and development of dryports, terminals, distribution centres. All these are core elements for this purpose. The overall focus has changed from port performances to performance of the entire supply chain in the port-hinterland relationship. This is what it is going to do the Port of Civitavecchia, the most important port in Lazio Region, would like to become the central point into commercial, industrial and infrastructural development of central Italy. The development of railway terminal and of regional road network for the developing of intermodal logistics chain, of the industrial port activities (shipbuilding sector and oil bunkering), of trade relations with Fiumicino Airport and with the roman agroindustrial sector, of logistics relations with the dryport of Orte and with the intermodal terminal (road-railway) of Pomezia Santa Palomba, are some of the activities planned and undertaken by the port for improving the regionalization of Civitavecchia. Aim of this paper is to show and underline how these regionalization processes can increase the development, and so benefit the entire regional hinterland and the competitiveness and attraction of the entire port system. A model to estimate the regionalization effect has been designed by the authors and implemented to make a comparison analysis between Civitavecchia and competing ports. © 2021 Georg Thieme Verlag. All rights reserved
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