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In recent years, the substantial expansion in containerisation, the advent of megacarriers, the race for ever larger container-ships and higher-volume flows, have revolutionised intercontinental transport. These changes have entailed considerable reductions in maritime transport costs, which has made distant countries extremely accessible. The most costly component of the international traffic transport chain is now the inland leg, which explains why forwarders are so keen to gain control over inland transport operations.
On land, road is the dominant mode, but with infrastructure congestion, rail and inland waterways also have a part to play. Under what conditions could these last two modes capture a larger share of inland transport? Rail cannot be really competitive without a dedicated freight network, and inland waterways will only get to play a significant role if transhipment costs are cut. Couldn’t greater competition within these two modes generate productivity gains and better quality services?
The Round Table provided the opportunity to address the whole issue of competitiveness in inland transport modes and identified guidelines on land access to ports for policy-makers.

Aviation is one of the most regulated industries in the world. Much of this regulation is safety-related, to mitigate the inherent risks tied with air transport. But aviation is also subject to economic regulation that influences which airline flies which route, at which frequency, capacity and price. It even stipulates the nationality of its owners and decision makers. Aviation has freed itself from some restrictions over the past three decades, with many benefits to society. Yet liberalisation has also raised issues with regard to maintaining fair competition, high labour standards and mitigating aviation’s growing environmental impact.

Long-life surfaces could substantially cut the costs of road works, including the delays they cause, especially on congested routes with heavy traffic. These surfaces use new materials that cost more than conventional asphalt and require special handling. This report presents the results of collaborative research to evaluate the technical and economic potential of the most promising long-life surfaces (epoxy asphalt and high performance cementitious materials)  and assist governments in weighing up the risks and advantages of introducing them on busy roads

This report is the third and final output of a ten-year international research project studying the costs and viability of long-life road pavement surfacings. It describes the results of tests conducted with epoxy asphalt and high performance cementitious materials (HPCM) on real road sections in France, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The project was initiated to address a growing problem for road administrations and road users: frequent closures of roadways for repairs and repaving as a result of surface pavements that have improved but still barely kept up with increased loads and traffic density.