Optimizing the Split Port System to Promote Sustainable Development
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Čedomir Dundović, Ph. D. Preliminary communication University of Rijeka Faculty of Maritime Studies Rijeka Received: 6th November 2013 Studentska 2 Accepted: 25th November 2013 51000 Rijeka Majda Jurić, B. Sc. Chem. Tech. Tijardovićeva 18/8 21000 Split Mirjana Kovačić, Ph. D. University of Rijeka Faculty of Maritime Studies Rijeka Studentska 2 51000 Rijeka Croatia OPTIMIZING THE SPLIT PORT SYSTEM TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SUMMARY The facilities of the Port of Split are capable of of great importance, not only in the Splitsko- accommodating a large number of passengers, cargo dalmatinska County but in the broader area as well. and vehicles. However, the road and railway In this paper the authors analyse the current state of connections between the port and corridor Vc are not the Split port system in terms of transport (Split’s City able to handle such traffic density thus impeding the Port and North Port) and the access to the City Port, flow of goods and passengers. Because the route with emphasis on design solutions. Special emphasis is connecting the port passes through the town core, the placed on optimizing the port system while taking into conservation of the town’s monuments and cultural consideration the importance of preserving cultural heritage is a vital issue. heritage and fostering sustainable development. The Port of Split is the only departure point for overall passenger and car traffic to all the larger islands. Key words: Split City Port, Split North Port, Hence, the vision of the Stari Grad Port on the Hvar sustainable development, port optimization, traffic Island as the main connection with all other islands is route, cultural heritage POMORSTVO • Scientific Journal of Maritime Research • 27/2(2013) • str./pp. 285-298 285 Č. Dundović, M. Jurić, M. Kovačić: OPTIMIZING THE SPLIT PORT SYSTEM TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE... 1 INTRODUCTION railway and road traffic, together with inland navigable waterways) seek to enhance the ef- By the number of passengers and vehicles fectiveness of transport while reducing environ- that pass through it, the Port of Split is ranked mental pollution, costs and transport/travel first among the Adriatic ports, while according times. to the statistical data it is ranked third among the ports of the Mediterranean. The rapid in- crease of passenger traffic, the growing number 2 ASSESSMENT OF PREVIOUS of vehicles, the tourism orientation of the Town RESEARCH of Split, the construction of the Zagreb-Split motorway and the greater number of flights to Research pertaining to this issue generally the Split Airport are factors that call for a dif- involves analyses and partial solutions to spe- ferent way of organizing traffic in comparison cific problems. Hence the importance of the with the previous period. To reduce traffic con- Adriatic MoS Project in resolving the problem gestion and transport speeds, a solution needs of an integrated combined traffic in the entire to be found for the access roads to the Port of region, rather than just in partial areas. Split, otherwise the entire ferry port needs to Municipalities and towns have tended to re- be relocated. In addition to being economically solve traffic problems for each segment sepa- acceptable, the solution must be consistent with rately, thus failing to take into account other the principles of sustainable development and stakeholders and factors directly linked to the must not have an adverse effect on tourism de- overall issue. The Ministry of Maritime Affairs, velopment. Transport and Infrastructure, responsible for is- The 1990s witnessed a change in the habits lands development, were in charge of resolving of the population and in the modes of transport the issues of ports and quays, and in part, rail- in the continental part of Croatia. The disrup- way traffic issues as well. For a project to be re- tion of railway traffic brought about an increase alized, all stakeholders with an interest in this in road traffic (transport by bus and passenger area of activity need to be recognized, and the car), and as tourist arrivals started to grow once project needs to be delivered collectively to again after 1995, the Port of Split began to ex- avoid overlapping or partial project delivery. perience a mounting pressure. This required Particularly important is the project concern- the port terminals in these areas to be expand- ing the Stari Grad Port on the island of Hvar, ed and the ports and the entire port system to which should become the central link to other be organized in a different, better way. Adriatic islands. In this way, passengers want- The port reconstruction and the construction ing to travel from one island to another would of new piers, however, was too slow, thus indi- no longer need to travel first to Split and then rectly impeding traffic links and traffic fluidity from there to other islands. The Stari Grad and increasing external costs. Pursuant to the Port would become a link to all Adriatic islands, 2005 Strategy of the Republic of Croatia which and would help to reduce the crowds and con- presented the long-term development policy of gestion in the Split’s City Port Basin, especially Croatian ports and maritime traffic, great im- in the summer months. portance was attached to the development of Equally important is educating the popula- the so-called motorways of the sea which would tion to encourage changes in habits acquired in help in equalizing traffic flows in Croatia and the 1990s, in particular, travelling by car, espe- the EU. cially for short distances and in city traffic. In The Motorways of the Sea Project aims at Croatia, passenger cars are largely used for creating new intermodal logistics chains in Eu- travelling short distances (around town), mostly rope to help improve the access to markets by a single passenger per car, which is environ- throughout Europe. The participation in the mentally and economically unacceptable. Edu- Adriatic MoS Project opens up new opportuni- cating the population would help them to again ties for Croatia to develop short sea shipping fall into the habit of using public means of and foster intermodality not only within its ter- transport. The European Commission has pro- ritory but also within the entire region. Inter- posed a package of measures in the White Pa- modal logistics chains (combinations of sea, per “A Roadmap to a Single European Trans- 286 POMORSTVO • Scientific Journal of Maritime Research • 27/2(2013) • str./pp. 285-298 Č. Dundović, M. Jurić, M. Kovačić: OPTIMIZING THE SPLIT PORT SYSTEM TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE... port Area” [10] to improve the competitiveness wide ramps, together with a new operating area and efficiency of the European transport sys- of 2,770 m2, berths 26 and 27 have raised the tem. The White Paper puts forward 40 different quality of services to port users, especially pas- measures aimed at enhancing the mobility of senger and ship operators. They were officially freight and passenger transport, reducing con- opened on June 2013. These new berths repre- gestion in key European transport hubs, and in- sent the beginning of the final development of creasing the employment rate in the transport the breakwater of the City Port Basin, which is sector and other related sectors. The White Pa- to be followed by the largest project – the con- per places special emphasis on sustainable de- struction of berths on the external side of the velopment and environmental protection, and breakwater. its primary goal is a reduction of transport- based environmental pollution by 60% by 2050, 3.1 Spatial determinants of the Split City Port to be achieved by the proposed measures, espe- cially by the measure encouraging greater use The majority of transport activities take of railway and waterborne transport [10]. place in the port’s eastern section which caters to all international and local ferries. Large cruisers and smaller passenger ships dock at the 3 ANALYSIS OF SPATIAL AND central customs pier. To avoid the problems of OTHER FEATURES OF THE crowding and congestion and to help relieve the town centre, it is necessary to explore the SPLIT CITY PORT possibility of relocating this form of transport The Split City Port is especially important as to the area of the North Port which would put a junction for all types of transport. In addition incoming and outgoing vehicles close to motor- to maritime and road transport subsystems, the ways and trunk roads. Such a change would City Port area is connected with the broader re- make the Port of Split into a port of local and gion by other transport subsystems (railway, air international transport for cruisers and passen- travel and telecommunication subsystems) into ger ships. Sveti Nikola Pier mostly accommo- a single transport system. Passenger and cargo dates catamarans and motorboats. The last transport is optimally distributed across all berth on the pier serves as a border crossing in transport subsystems. the summer when there is heavy traffic on in- ternational lines. External berths that have a The Port of Split is located in the central part sea depth over seven metres are used for ac- of the Croatian part of the Adriatic coast to commodating cruisers on cruising voyages. The which many inhabited islands gravitate. It is sit- farthest berth, number 28, is exposed to strong uated on the transport corridors between Rije- southerly winds making it unsuitable for dock- ka and Dubrovnik, as well as between Split and ing. Zagreb, and Ancona and Pescara in Italy. Sveti Duje Pier is mostly used by ferries and A part of the Split transport system, the ferry passenger ships on cruise voyages and it is a port is located in the eastern part of the City state border-crossing area.