VIEWPOINT
Changes in the container shipping industry during the past two decades have prompted UNCTAD and MDSTransmodal to undertake a second revision of methodology to calculate the LSCI and PLSCI datasets. This revision will be applied on 15 March 2024 to the data release for the first quarter of 2024 (Q1/2024) and both data series since 2006.
MDS Transmodal (MDST) carried out a commercial vehicle traffic survey in November 2023 as part of a programme of work to develop a freight strategy for Chester city centre. It follows from the survey of businesses which investigated the perception of businesses regarding the delivery and collection of freight in the city centre, much of which has been pedestrianised with a time window for access by vehicles in the morning and evening. This commercial vehicle traffic survey of the morning peak for deliveries between 07.00 and 11.00 in the heritage city centre showed that 76% of vehicles were light goods vehicles, 18% were (generally small) HGVs, 6% were waste collection vehicles and 1% were bicycles being used for food deliveries. Just under 3% of all movements were by zero emission vehicles (including bicycles).
While there is an urgent need to provide additional parking facilities for both HGV and LGV drivers, new sites should be appropriately located so that they can best serve the operational requirements of the sector, but also conform with planning policy and minimise their environmental impacts. This has now been confirmed by a recent planning decision relating to a proposed lorry park in the Cotswolds.
SERVICES
Data Products
Box Trade Analyser
For access to summarised data on supply and demand in the container shipping industry, our Box Trade Analyser (BTA)
service provides an all-in-one, online subscription service that puts container shipping data at your fingertips. BTA enables your organisation to understand the current state and the ongoing changes in the container shipping industry, so that you can make more informed decisions.
MDST Port LSCI
MDS Transmodal developed the Port Liner Shipping Connectivity Index (MDST Port LSCI), a cloud-based information portal which allows any registered user to view the top 100 ports in the current quarter and the same quarter last year.
Premium subscribers can:
- Access the 6 components of connectivity used to calculate the LSCI that is published for each port by UNCTAD
- Split the components of connectivity for each port between deepsea and shortsea
Why MDST?
Unusually among firms of transport economists, MDS Transmodal has invested in developing and maintaining a comprehensive set of databases covering the demand for ports, shipping and other freight transport services as well as the supply of maritime and warehouse infrastructure. Using these information sets, your specific areas of interest can be examined through analysis of the relevant markets and the competitive behaviour of the service providers.