Exploring balanced modal split for freight transportation system: A case of the central region of South Africa
Ensuring sustainability in transportation systems demands a harmonious distribution of freight. In the regional context of South Africa, road and rail transportation play pivotal roles, yet a significant imbalance exists, posing sustainability challenges. This study aims to identify key factors infl...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590198225001587 |
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| author | Dillip Kumar Das Boiki J Mokobori Rakesh Gopinath |
| author_facet | Dillip Kumar Das Boiki J Mokobori Rakesh Gopinath |
| author_sort | Dillip Kumar Das |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ensuring sustainability in transportation systems demands a harmonious distribution of freight. In the regional context of South Africa, road and rail transportation play pivotal roles, yet a significant imbalance exists, posing sustainability challenges. This study aims to identify key factors influencing freight transport, develop empirical cost models, and simulate scenarios to achieve equilibrium in regional freight distribution. Employing survey research, data was collected from freight companies and analysed using inferential statistics and empirical modelling. It employed a utility choice function model for simulating scenarios conducive to achieving a balanced freight transport system. Findings suggest that currently, compared to rail freight, road freight transport dominates, leading to an imbalanced system. Critical factors that influence include load cost, loading/offloading times, fuel expenses, and travel duration. However, sensitivity analyses revealed that targeted reductions in travel time, loading/offloading times, load cost, and fuel expenses could lead to a substantial shift towards rail transport, promoting a more balanced system. This study provides actionable insights for stakeholders. By addressing influential variables, such as load cost, loading/offloading times, fuel expenses, and travel duration, the freight industry can work towards equitable coexistence of road and rail transport. This study highlights the prevalence of road-based freight transport in the region and demonstrates the potential for equilibrium through interventions in key variables. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7dbd082ca5d94a52b1724d17465aa822 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2590-1982 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives |
| spelling | doaj-art-7dbd082ca5d94a52b1724d17465aa8222025-08-20T02:37:09ZengElsevierTransportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives2590-19822025-05-013110147910.1016/j.trip.2025.101479Exploring balanced modal split for freight transportation system: A case of the central region of South AfricaDillip Kumar Das0Boiki J Mokobori1Rakesh Gopinath2Discipline of Civil Engineering, Sustainable Transportation Research Group, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College, Durban, South Africa; Corresponding author.Department of Civil Engineering, Central University of Technology, Free State, Bloemfontein, South AfricaDepartment of Civil Engineering, University of Western England, Bristol, UKEnsuring sustainability in transportation systems demands a harmonious distribution of freight. In the regional context of South Africa, road and rail transportation play pivotal roles, yet a significant imbalance exists, posing sustainability challenges. This study aims to identify key factors influencing freight transport, develop empirical cost models, and simulate scenarios to achieve equilibrium in regional freight distribution. Employing survey research, data was collected from freight companies and analysed using inferential statistics and empirical modelling. It employed a utility choice function model for simulating scenarios conducive to achieving a balanced freight transport system. Findings suggest that currently, compared to rail freight, road freight transport dominates, leading to an imbalanced system. Critical factors that influence include load cost, loading/offloading times, fuel expenses, and travel duration. However, sensitivity analyses revealed that targeted reductions in travel time, loading/offloading times, load cost, and fuel expenses could lead to a substantial shift towards rail transport, promoting a more balanced system. This study provides actionable insights for stakeholders. By addressing influential variables, such as load cost, loading/offloading times, fuel expenses, and travel duration, the freight industry can work towards equitable coexistence of road and rail transport. This study highlights the prevalence of road-based freight transport in the region and demonstrates the potential for equilibrium through interventions in key variables.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590198225001587FreightModal splitRoad transportationRail transportationUtility function |
| spellingShingle | Dillip Kumar Das Boiki J Mokobori Rakesh Gopinath Exploring balanced modal split for freight transportation system: A case of the central region of South Africa Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives Freight Modal split Road transportation Rail transportation Utility function |
| title | Exploring balanced modal split for freight transportation system: A case of the central region of South Africa |
| title_full | Exploring balanced modal split for freight transportation system: A case of the central region of South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Exploring balanced modal split for freight transportation system: A case of the central region of South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring balanced modal split for freight transportation system: A case of the central region of South Africa |
| title_short | Exploring balanced modal split for freight transportation system: A case of the central region of South Africa |
| title_sort | exploring balanced modal split for freight transportation system a case of the central region of south africa |
| topic | Freight Modal split Road transportation Rail transportation Utility function |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590198225001587 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dillipkumardas exploringbalancedmodalsplitforfreighttransportationsystemacaseofthecentralregionofsouthafrica AT boikijmokobori exploringbalancedmodalsplitforfreighttransportationsystemacaseofthecentralregionofsouthafrica AT rakeshgopinath exploringbalancedmodalsplitforfreighttransportationsystemacaseofthecentralregionofsouthafrica |