Strengths and weaknesses of short sea shipping

The past, present and expected future growth rates of freight transport have led the European Union to promote a common transport policy supporting the shift of goods from road to sea, thereby making use of the latterʹs underused available capacity. Therefore, the provision of a door-to-door transport service, where a sea-leg is introduced, requires both the complementarity of the other modes of transport and the implementation of the concept of mode interoperability. The latter provides for the smooth transfer of goods since wastes, which are represented in terms of friction costs, are eliminated or reduced to a minimum. However, to implement that shift it is necessary to appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of short sea shipping (SSS), so that the right strategies are identified, though a list of possible measures to utilise this mode has already been identified. A new approach to SSS is also introduced to clarify some concepts attached to it.