AN INLAND WATERWAY OPTION FOR SUSTAINABLE FREIGHT TRANSPORT IN SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE

Abstract

The Axios-Morava waterway project has been dreamt about by the people of the Balkans for at least five generations and today is closer to becoming reality than ever before. The main drivers to revisit this subject today are associated with the availability of the necessary technical and management know-how, the international investment interest, as well as the demand for environmentally sustainable growth to which transport in general and inland navigation in particular will play a major role.

It was demonstrated that the potential of the Axios-Morava navigable link between the eastern Mediterranean Sea (via the Aegean) and River Danube for the transport of freight offers an energy and carbon favourable alternative to road, whilst it competes closely with rail. With regard to air quality, the waterway service was found to be better than the rail but significantly inferior to the road mainly due to the stricter emission standards applicable to trucks. Finally, it was demonstrated that it is necessary to build on the ongoing international interest in this project, as being the driver for implementing all the necessary infrastructural and operational changes which will make the proposed waterway service commercially and environmentally sustainable.