Optimizing of Freight Transport and City Logistics Activities in Addis Ababa
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2011-09
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
AAU
Abstract
Though goods distribution is an important part of activity in urban life as it plays a vital role in
urban economy in terms of income generation and employment opportunities, nowadays urban
freight distribution is creating many challenges like environmental pollution, congestion and
traffic accident in the growing cities in developing nations.
ABSTRACT
Thus, this research paper aim is to optimize freight transport and city logistics activities in the
city of Addis Ababa so that goods can be distributed to the city center, without jeopardizing the
lives of city dwellers, depleting environment and also enabling a good economic efficiency of
freight transport and maximized profit for stakeholders.
According to the traffic data collected from field survey and the historical traffic data collected
from ERA, on average 19,088 and 18,428 freight vehicles per day enter and leave the city of
Addis Ababa respectively out of which, 66.6%, 19.6%, 6.59%, 4.33% and 2.93% enters through
gate of Debrezeit, Jimma, Gojjam, Debrebrhan and Ambo respectively where, 27.94%, 27.83%,
23.67% and 20.56% were Medium Trucks, Heavy Trucks, Small Trucks and Truck Trailers
Respectively and similarly 67.43%, 16.30%, 8.24%, 4.06% and 3.97% exits through the gate of
Debrezeit, Jimma, Gojjam, Debrebrhan and Ambo respectively accounting 27.74%, 27.59%,
23.07% and 21.60% Medium Trucks, Heavy Trucks, Small Trucks and Truck Trailers
Respectively . Future prospects from the study reveal that freight traffic entering to the city and
leaving the city will grow at an average rate of 10.03% and 9.63% respectively and as a result the
entering and leaving freight traffic will raise to 90,633 and 86,124 respectively by 2015.
Out of the total vehicles driven within the city, only 7.53% were freight transporting vehicles
accounting the least share and 36.61% were cars taking the largest share.
In view of load factor which is in terms of weight, it was found that due to limited application of
city logistics measures within the city freight transporting vehicles operate at an average load
factor of 53% which leads to increased transport cost. Within the city more than 146 warehouses and 1 freight terminal are available where 59% of the warehouses are located within the main
city center and major sub-centers of the city attracting huge freight vehicles and operating at a
poor level of service.
Regarding to the terminal delay, it was found that terminals cause vehicles to delay for about 120
days.
According
to
the
study,
commodity
type,
season
and
transparency
of
the
customers,
capacity
of
custom
officers
and transitors
and
capacity
of
the
terminal
were
the
basic
factors
that
affect
delay
of
terminals.
To minimize the negative impacts, five optimum freight terminal
locations were selected with the help of factor rating method and this newly selected terminals
are expected to minimize the negative impacts of the freight distribution as they minimize entry
of freight vehicles to the city center and terminal delay.
It is perceived that, high increase in the road freight transport coupled with the little awareness of
city logistics measures and concepts within the city and the country in general are the main
reasons that are causing problem within the city. Hence, strengthening freight transport data base
management system, creation of awareness regarding the concept of city logistics with its
advantages and environmental impacts among stakeholders and further researches on possibility
cooperative freight delivery system, coordinated goods movement and investigation of the
possibility to use other ports other than port of Djibouti for import and export activities should be
the task of researchers and concerned authorities before the problems get worse.
Description
Keywords
Freight Transport, City Logistics, Addis Ababa