Evaluation of dry port implementation in Ghana

Abstract

Purpose Congestion at Ghana’s main seaports is a problem that has received much attention recently. This is as a result of continuous increase in containerized cargo. To increase the capacity of Ghana’ seaport, the Ministry of Transport through the Ghana Shippers Council initiated the Boankra Inland Port Project. The aim of this paper is to assess the feasibility and economic effects of implementing the Boankra Inland Port as a solution to reduce congestion at the main seaports, as well as reduce transportation cost. Design/methodology/approach The location of the inland port was assessed using the gravitational model. Data for the gravitational model are distances from the main seaports in Ghana and Boankra Inland Port to major hinterland destinations and population of the destinations. Also, 210 respondents were selected and interviewed on contribution of the dry port concept to the economy and transportation management in Ghana. Findings The results of the gravitational model support the location of Boankra as an inland port. A further comparison between Tema and Takoradi shows that Tema has a better location as a distribution center than Takoradi. Practical implications Although Tema and Takoradi are the main seaports in Ghana, the implementation of the Boankra inland port will reduce the transportation cost for cargo with hinterland destinations, therefore making it a rational and cost-efficient location for transit transportation. Originality/value This paper is among the first significant attempts to evaluate the suitability of inland port implementation in Ghana.

Systematic Review of Literature on Dry Port Concept Evolution

“…Location management 32 (Roso, 2008), (Rahimi et al, 2008), (Rosa and Roscelli, 2009), , , (Chang et al, 2011), (Flämig and Hesse, 2011), (Bentaleb et al, 2016a), , (Feng et al, 2013), (Rožić et al, 2014), (Ambrosino and Sciomachen, 2014), (Awad-Núñez et al, 2014), (Chang et al, 2015), (Awad-Núñez et al, 2015), (Roso et al, 2015a), (Awad-Núñez et al, 2016a), (Awad-Núñez et al, 2016b), (Muravev and Rakhmangulov, 2016), , (Wang et al, 2018), , (Monios and Wilmsmeier, 2012a), (Santos and Guedes Soares, 2017), (Raimbault, 2019), (Ližbetin, 2019), (Van Nguyen et al, 2019), (Chang et al, 2019a), (Gonzalez-Aregall andBergqvist, 2019), (Owusu Kwateng et al, 2017), (Black et al, 2018), (Sun and Wang, 2018), (Abdoulkarim et al, 2019b).…”

Enhancing productivity of ship chandlers’ trucks at the port for sustainability

“…This, reflects the operation modes of ship chandlers' trucks. Moreover, there are many other reasons for truck congestions such as growing container volume, improper planning and time loss (Meersman et al, 2012b;Gidado, 2015;Cordero, 2014;Kwateng et al, 2017). However, the causative factors for port congestion vary in different ports.…”

Residents’ Perception on an Inland Port Development in Northern Border of Peninsular Malaysia

“…For the environmental factor, previous studies found out that the activities of port and inland port operations had a significant environmental effect on the local people and the regions (van Duin and Van Der Heijden, 2021). It was highlighted that the development of inland ports could reduce the congestion and pollution issues caused by the seaport (Kwateng et al, 2017). Meanwhile, the congestion will increase carbon emissions and reduce air quality, thereby significantly increasing the mortality rate of drivers and affect the health of nearby residents (Zhang and Batterman, 2013).…”