As road transport is still the most important hinterland mode of most of the world‟s ports,
and as it is known that hinterland accessibility and costs are crucial port selection criteria,
it is clear that charging must have competitive effects on ports. It is observed that road
pricing is implemented with different modalities in different countries, in a search for
financial infrastructure investment means, but also in an attempt to get rid of a number of
negative externalities caused by land transport. Governments have a strong incentive to
ensure that their ports feature hinterland transport with as low external costs as possible.
At the same tim, road pricing as a measure should be such that it does not suffocate ports
and impede the local economy from developing.
This paper tries to capture road pricing‟s impact on port competitiveness by applying a
micro approach, one more general, and one applied to a specific motorway. It is analysed
how road pricing impacts on the cost functions of the different actors in the logistics
chain, and what impact different setups and different modalities in neighbouring regions
or countries may have.
The results of the preliminary analyses show that overall, port-bound land transport gets
hit harder than just land-based transport. However, the magnitude depends strongly on the
specific composition of neighbouring regions‟ or countries‟ pricing regimes, in terms of
the network to which it applies, the level of charges, and accompanying measures in
place. It is also observed to what extent a reduction in transportation takes place as a
consequence of the measure, to what extent a shift towards other modes occurs, and at
what level internal optimisation features.
The paper provides scientific insight into the concrete role of hinterland pricing in a port
service provider‟s and user‟s cost and competitiveness situation. The results are novel
from a scientific point of view, and are also very relevant to business practitioners who
use ports, and to policy-makers, who might want to strengthen the competitive position of
ports on their territory, and/or to make sure that hinterland transport goes in an
equilibrated way over modes and network axes