045 the Effectiveness of a Road Transportation Network System in a Port City Towards Green Logistics in Malaysia

8/3/2019 045 the Effectiveness of a Road Transportation Network System in a Port City Towards Green Logistics in Malaysia

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Proceeding of Malaysian Universities Transportation Research Forum and Conferences 2010

(MUTRFC2010), 21 December 2010, Universiti Tenaga Nasional. ISBN 978-967-5770-08-1

433

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A ROAD TRANSPORTATION NETWORK SYSTEMIN A PORT CITY: TOWARDS GREEN LOGISTICS IN MALAYSIA

Noraini Anor1*, Zakaria Ahmad

2

ABSTRACT:

The road transportation network system is part of the economic generation of Malaysia. This system has a

significant impact to the transportation industry and a major player of logistics system. Hence, this

network system needs further improvement in the port city. To date, little research has been carried out on

the environmental sustainability of Malaysias port cities and how Green elements can be introduced

into their road transportation networks. Currently, the road transportation network system is not integrated

to other infrastructure, facilities and other required services. An unplanned road transportation network

system will disrupt the transportation movement, environmental sustainable create network system

problems and affect other logistics factors. The main purpose of this study is to examine what extent the

effectiveness of transportation network system in port cities contributes towards green logistics in

Malaysia. The objectives of the research study are: first, to identify the impact of the road transportation

network system in the port city on green logistics; secondly, to examine the relationship between the road

transportation networks system and a port city and finally, to identify the structure and patterns was

current practice of the road transportation network system. This study was based on a case study thatanalyzed the structure and patterns of the road transportation network system at Port Klang, Malaysia.

The research process included collection of primary data such as site investigation and observation while

secondary data from a literature review to support the research. The findings of research will help develop

utilization of rational land for the sustainable development of a road transportation network system in the

port city.

Keywords:Network; Port city; Green Logistics

1 Postgraduate Student, Malaysia Institute of Transport (MITRANS), Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor,MALAYSIA

2 Lecturer, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, MALAYSIA

*Correspondence Author: Noraini Anor, Malaysia Institute of Transport (MITRANS), Universiti Teknologi MARA,

Malaysia. Tel: +603 55442638, Fax: +60355442344. E-mail: [email protected]


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INTRODUCTION

In todays rapidly changing world, the road transportation network system has become very

crucial to boost economic growth, physical transformation, and the emergence of an outward-looking,pluralistic population linked to a transportation network system of maritime connections engendered by

international trade. As mentioned by Taaffe (1973), geographers considering a road transportation

network system as an aspect of spatial organization will first look specifically at the structure of thenetwork. The basic structural elements of the network are its linkages and nodes. According to Lambert

(1997), traffic and transportation are a key logistics activity that provide for the movement of materials

and goods from point of origin to point of consumption, and perhaps to their ultimate point of disposal as

well. Transportation involves several selections of modes (e.g., air, rail, water, truck, or pipeline), the

routing of shipments, assuring compliance with regulations in the region of the country where shipment is

occurring, and selection of the carrier.

LITERATURE REVIEW

In the port, transportation is the main activities since it plays a role to enable transfer of goods

from ships to other transportation modes and vice versa. Other port related activities such as wholesale,warehousing, logistics and transport are attracted to the direct proximity of ports. Over the years, the roles

of port have been expanded. Consequently the relationships between port and city changed considerably

during the second half of the twentieth century (Levinson, 2006). As a result, ports have become

increasingly disconnected from cities. The increased intensity of port industrial activity, in combination

with urban growth, lack of available land for further expansion, and environmental constraints have led to

the move of port facilities away from city centres (Hoyle, 1989). Thus, transport players are willing to

insert the port cities within the global transport chain to cope with normalised logistics systems which are

managed by an ever-reducing number of powerful global companies, local and regional specifically in

terms of economic development and spatial planning (Ducruet, 2007).

Therefore, port city have been seen as a vital component to generate the global economy, and also

increasingly important concentrations of population and asset value. Thirteen out of the twenty mostpopulated cities in the world in year 2005 were port cities. In addition, their economic importance in

terms of international trade has grown markedly, particularly in developing countries, in line with

globalisation and the rapid development of the newly industrialised countries (Morlot, 2007). The generallevel of port development and urban growth is a reflection of the land situation, which includes the nature

and extent of economic development in the tributary area and the character of the transport network. Most

of the land site, whether artificially created or largely due to natural growth, constitutes a direct control

over the pattern of urban growth and often determines the general layout of a port city. Decisions

concerning port expansion have frequently entailed important consequences for the location, character,

and comparative development of urban areas (Hoyle, 1981).

In this study, the term transportation network refers specifically to road transportation. Road

transportation network system is the most important infrastructure in any country as it provides the meansto move people and goods. A road transportation network system manifests properties such as the

hierarchy of roads, connectivity, accessibility, linkages and movement. On the other hand, the road

network system also influences port city to grow depending on the functions of the effective integration of

land use and road network system. A routeway concept is defined by Becth (1971) as a way or road for

passage or travel. A highway, or railroad, or pipeline, or waterway, or airway is, by definition, a routebetween any two points located on it.


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As mentioned earlier, the road transportation network system in port city is very important to

achieve sustainable development. Port cities are places where the mode of transportation changes from

land to water-borne systems; it is primarily important as a central place for economic and cultural

interchange. According to Banga (1992), port cities are centres of exchange where different cultures anddifferent environments meet, at the boundary between land and sea.

Transport integration is an essential port function of a modern seaport node in which a

multimodal transport system develops. As stated by Hoyle (1980), the growth of a port city is

fundamentally affected by four sets of separate factors: the land situation, the water situation, the landsite, and the water site. The balance between these factors influences port city growth which depends on

the functions of the effective integration of land use and the road network system. For that reason, the

integration of land use and a transportation network system deserves particular attention and research.

From here can be seen, the importance of a road transportation network system in port city to generate the

logistics industry and supply chain.

To create sustainable development, green logistics must be implemented to improve the quality of

environment and to improve a road transportation network system be more efficient and effective. GreenLogistics is a modern transportation system which may improve the cost, efficiency and reliability of

freight and passenger transport systems with environmental concerns. In other words, it refers to an

environmentally-friendly and efficient transport and distribution system (Rodrigue, 2001). Green

logistics adaptation in Malaysia is sustainable logistics to achieve a more sustainable balance between the

economic, environmental and social elements related to the transportation network system. The

implementation of green logistics in port cities to achieve sustainable development in Malaysia is still in

the early stages. The current transportation network system does not connect well to the port and its

hinterland and therefore does not meet the requirement of green logistics in Malaysia. Therefore, the

study has looked into the role of a road transportation network system to generate the development of

green logistics in the port city of Port Klang.

OVERVIEW OF PORT KLANG

In this paper, we examine the effectiveness of a road transportation network system in a port city,specifically Port Klang, Malaysia. We have narrowed down the scope to focus only on the effectiveness

of a road transportation network, since it is the main transportation network system in the Port Klang area.

Port Klang is Malaysias major gateway and has been recognized as the busiest port in Asia. It is situated

on the westcoast of Peninsular Malaysia, near national capital city, Kuala Lumpur, at thenorth end of the

Straits of Malacca. It is about 6 kilometres southwest of Klang town and 38 kilometres southwest ofKuala Lumpur. This port has been well-linked to the others part of Malaysia by road and rail network

connections, and is located about 70 kilometres from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

Furthermore, Port Klang is served by three major gateways which are Northport, Westport and Southport

(Southpoint). Figure 1 shows the location of Port Klang.


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Figure 1: Study Area

Source : www.gettingaround.net/pages/poc-...ysia.php


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Figure 2: Location of Port KlangSource: www.pka.gov.my/Background.asp

Port Klang has sufficient capacity to go further in the years ahead, like others port cities in the

world. Port Klang has been selected as the area of interest in this study based on several criteria, including

urban population (Brinkhoff, 2006), freight forwarders and logistics agents (International Transport

Journal, 2006. Several indicators that exist at a global scale but have not been included in the study to

avoid redundant values are ton traffic, total quay, administrative and suburban population and surface of

the metropolitan urbanised area (Ducruet, 2007). Based on these criteria, Port Klang has been identified

as a potential world class port city of the future. The table in Appendix 1, from Ducruet (2007) shows the

concentration of the transport chain is based on logistics activities, port throughputs and infrastructures.

According to Ducruet (2007) Port Klang is ranked 34 of 100 port cities in the world.

Northport

Southport

Westport


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PROBLEM STATEMENT

Several problems have been identified that limit the effectiveness of a road transportation

network system in meeting the standard of green logistics in Malaysia. The major problems that have

been identified are the connectivity and accessibility of road network system in the study area. Port Klang

is last mile connectivity for freight and cargo movement to transfer the goods because the connectivity

and accessibility of the road network system in Port Klang is not efficient and would create trafficcongestion in Port Klang.

Furthermore, criteria for road design in the study area such as the width of lanes, load bearing

standards and junctions have not been established. In terms of width of lane, the existing narrow widths of

lane in Port Klang are not suitable to cater for the capacity of freight and private vehicle movement to or

from the port city. The size and width of current road lanes cannot accommodate the capacity of vehicles

based on traffic volumes in Port Klang. Data on traffic volume shows that the volume has continued toincrease year by year. The lane width of roads that lead to Port Klang are Federal Route 2 (11.0 metres),

Persiaran Raja Muda Musa 11.0 metres, and Jalan Negeri (B10) (6.0 metres). Meanwhile the Federal

Route 2 to Northport is 7.0 metres road wide. The narrow width of lanes slows down the movement of the

freight and delays freight forwarding, which indirectly increases monetary costs and reduces time.

One of the aspects of road design is their load bearing standard. Currently, existing roads cannot

accommodate the load of goods carried by freight. Most, existing roads can only accommodate container

loads of 20 to 40 tons. Freight transporters passing through the Port Klang road have no choice because

the existing road leading to Port Klang has narrow lane. Furthermore, the physical situation of the main

road leading to Port Klang is not satisfactory. The surface of road is uneven as a result of load bearingmovement of cargo and freight. This problem must be solved immediately to enable the freight to be

moved smoothly and efficiently. In addition, traffic levels on the road exceed its capacity, resulting in

traffic congestion, especially during peak hours.

The physical conditions of junctions in the study area are not satisfactory, to determine the Level

of Service, the ratio is calculated by comparing the traffic volume with the road capacity. Table 1 shows

the level of service of road from highway capacity manual. A ratio over 1.0 (LOS F) indicates that theroad can no longer cater to the traffic volume because there are too many junctions such as junction at

Jalan Negeri B1/ North Klang Straits Highway from Klang to Northport level of services (D) stable flowto congested flow and Northport to Klang Level of service (E) congested flow. This situation can cause

the delay of freight and private vehicles, and at the same time traffic would increase. Junction at Persiaran

Raja Muda Musa/Jalan Negeri B8 from Klang to Port Klang and Port Klang to Klang level of service (F)

is shows that these junctions have congested flow. This situation creates conflict in the study area and

especially causes problems for transport movement, including a traffic flow bottleneck at Port Klang.

Table 3 : Level of Service of Road

LOS A Free Flow (0.01.00)Source : Highway Capacity Manual,Ministry of Works, (2006)


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FINDINGS

The transportation network system is an important element for ensuring efficiency in the function

of a port citys development. It acts as an indicator of economic growth provides infrastructure, and it alsoinfluences the development pattern of an area. It plays the role as a connector between geographical

locations on a local, regional and global scale.

a) NetworkThe current road network system in Port Klang consists of federal road and city roads.

Maintenance of federal roads is the responsibility of Public Works Department through the provision of

the Federal Government. Persiaran Raja Muda Musa and Jalan Kem are part of the alignment of Federal

Road 2 that connects the study area to nearby cities such as Klang, Shah Alam, Petaling Jaya, and Kuala

Lumpur.

b) Hierarchy of Roads

Roads in the study area may be divided into hierarchical namely:

i) Highways Kuala Lumpur Klang Federal Highway (FR2)

The highway is an existing network that connects Kuala Lumpur city centre with western

areas such as Petaling Jaya and Shah Alam. Before the construction of other highways in thesurrounding area, this road was the main transportation network between Kuala Lumpur and the

Klang region.

New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE)The New Klang Valley Expressway was built in the north Klang Valley area and links

the western side of the Klang Valley, including Shah Alam and Klang and surrounding areas to

the east of Kuala Lumpur. The highway has implemented a closed toll system. It is an alternative

route for traffic instead of the Federal Highway traffic using the route Kuala Lumpur Klang

Federal Highway (FR2).

Shah Alam Expressway (KESAS)Shah Alam Expressway is complementary to the existing road network system in the

Klang Valley and the existing Federal Highway. This highway links the study area to Sungai

Besi.

North South Expressway (PLUS)The North-South Expressway is the longest expressway in Malaysia, starting at Bukit

Kayu Hitam in the far north and extending to Johor Bahru in the far south of the country. This

highway crosses the Klang Valley region and Selangor state, as well as the eastern part of study

area. It also connects to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang and also to the

Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (LTSAAS) in Subang via the New Klang Valley

Expressway (NKVE).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bukit_Kayu_Hitamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bukit_Kayu_Hitamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johor_Bahruhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johor_Bahruhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bukit_Kayu_Hitamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bukit_Kayu_Hitamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bukit_Kayu_Hitamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia


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An elevated Highway passing along the northern end of Jalan Kem connects the study

area to the Shah Alam Highway (KESAS) in the south and to the Shahpadu Highway in the north.

The

ii)

elevated highway is also the main route connecting the Northport and the Westport.

Currently, to access the elevated highway, road users must go through Jalan Kem.

Main Distributor Road

The main distributor roads are the road that connects Port Klang with the outside areas.

This road covers most of the entry and exit road trips, as well as direct travel for long distances.

Persiaran Raja Muda Musa serves as the main distributor road linking the study area to Klang,Shah Alam, and Kuala Lumpur. It is a four-lane route with a divider in the middle.

Figure 3: Existing of Road Network System

Source : Klang Municipal Council (2002)


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c) Traffic Managementi) Junctions Control

Elevated junctions, traffic lights junction, and priority junctions are examples of

intersection control or junction control. In the study area, junctions controlled by traffic lights are

5 junctions only.

d) Patterns and Traffic CharacteristicsPatterns and characteristics of the traffic from the traffic census have been carried out and the

following section contains information obtained from the traffic volume report issued by the Malaysian

highway planning unit.

Daily Traffic VolumeDaily traffic volumes of the main roads in study area show that the Federal Highway

(FR2) has the highest traffic volume which is 110,600 vehicles per day, followed by the North

Klang Straits Highway with 91,300 vehicles per day. Meanwhile, the state road B10 (JalanPandamaran) has the lowest volume of traffic which is 21, 800 vehicles per day of the roads

included in the study.

Peak Hour Traffic VolumePeak hour traffic volume refers to the period of highest traffic volume in a day. The

volume of traffic for every hour in a day is different; however, the volume of traffic during peak

hours is used for the assessment of road operations and planning the design of the road. Thevolume of traffic during peak hours is around 9 percent to 11 percent of total traffic volume for a

day. Federal Highway 2 (Klang-Kuala Lumpur) registers higher traffic from peak with 8,600

vehicles per hour, while the B10 road (Pandamaran-Sentosa) has the lower peak traffic volume

with flow 1,700 vehicles per hour. North Klang Straits Highway also has a high peak trafficvolume of 7,800 vehicles per hour. Other segments recorded peak a volume of between 3,000 to6,000 vehicles per hour (Klang Municipal Council, 2002)

.

e) Operational Evaluation of Existing RoadsOperational assessments of the existing roads are based on the comparison between volumes of

traffic during peak hours and the capacity of the existing road. The capacity of an existing road isdetermined by the width of road lanes, road width, traffic distributions, the composition of traffic,

obstructions in the road side and the slope of the road. Table 1 shows the operation of main roads in the

study area. Federal Highway 2 (Klang-Shah alam) operates more than 54% above the capacity of existing

roads. Similarly, North Klang Straits Expressway operates more than 40% above the capacity of existing

roads, while Federal Route 2 (Port Klang-Northport) has reached the capacity of existing roads.


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Table 2: Main Road Operation in Study Area

Road Segment

Peak Hours

Volume

(Vehicle/Hour)

Existing Road

Capacity(Vehicle/Hour)

The Ratio of

Volume/Capacity

Federal Road 2 (FR2)

(Klang-Shah Alam)

8,600 5,600 1.54

Federal Route 2(Persiaran Raja Muda Musa)

3,300 5,600 0.59

Federal Route 2(Port Klang-Northport)

5,600 5,600 1.00

North Klang Straits

Highway7,800

(Klang-Northport)

5,600 1.40

Source: Klang Municipal Council (2002)

f)

Road Accidents

Road accident statistics were obtained from the Royal Malaysian Police Traffic Branch Klang

District, Selangor. Accident statistics shows the accident rates in 2001 as compared to the year 2000

declined to a total of 1,303 cases from 2,176 cases in the same period. From 1998 to 2001 for the Klang

district statistical data, the accident or potential road accidents occurred more frequently on the federal

roads. Among the factors that caused the accident was the composition of heavy vehicles, such as high-lift

on the main streets, especially on Federal Route 2 to or from Port Klang.

RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION

This paper has focused on infrastructure development in a port city; it is undeniable that theplanning of infrastructure development should be embodied in sustainable planning. Thus, for the

infrastructure transport, each country seeks to promote a system of sustainable transport which can reduce

energy consumption, air pollution, minimize traffic congestion, reduce accidents, and increase the use and

diversification in order to ensure consumer safety (United Nations, 1992). Therefore the effectiveness of a

road transportation network system in port city must be increased in order to achieve sustainable

development, specifically towards achieving green logistics.

The road network system is an essential requirement for infrastructure development that is

necessary to create sustainable land transport and to enhance economic activities and services, thereby

helping to improve the quality of life. Thus there is a need to develop an efficient road transportation

network system which can cater the needs of population growth and cover the population area, business

and industries. Furthermore, for infrastructure development, planning and development of highways androads, it is important to take into account the needs of local communities and it also requires a strategy in

order to ensure that the design of highways and roads make use of technology and resources in more

efficient manner.

Planning and development of land transport and the port system need to prioritize conservation of

energy and resources. Even though land use in the port area is still relatively low density, it is important

to take into account the needs of local communities, as several elements that lead to sustainable

development must be implemented for future development and future generations. In order to encourage


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the design of surface transportation systems that are environmentally friendly and prioritize the safety ofconsumers, public facilities must be efficient and meet the needs of local and global community as well as

support economic and social development.

The successful planning of a road transportation network system in port city planning mustconsider the demands of freight movement such as a pickup and delivery, intermodal connections, and

regional consolidation in the context of urban passenger transportation issues such as congestion andaccessibility. To plan for an efficient road network system, the economic drivers of freight elements,

which are the individual practices of shippers, carriers, and the public in shaping the need for freight

movement, must be taken into account.

Transportation network systems, ports and urban growth are changing rapidly due to the

efficiency of road network systems. The close associations between ports and cities are vital for the urban

growth and an industrial expansion plan need an efficient transportation system. Planning for road

network system in port city that can achieve green logistics should be investigated further and be revisedin ways that enhance environments of living and working in maritime zones.

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045 the Effectiveness of a Road Transportation Network System in a Port City Towards Green Logistics in Malaysia