Determinants for a Feasible Short Sea Shipping: Lessons from Europe for ASEAN

Abstract

This paper aims to review the key factors for a feasible Short Sea Shipping (SSS) operation that is currentlybeginning to regain its popularity across the globe through the survey of literature beginning from the year 1999to 2014. Although the literature has addressed a myriad of important factors through research conductedparticularly in Europe, it could be argued that the important determining factors that are required for a particularroute or area may not be applicable to another route or area. In Europe, SSS is introduced with the main purposeof diverting freight transportation away from the congested roads whilst for the ASEAN countries, SSS has beenpart of the initiative to ensure the attainment of a well-connected ASEAN community. Hence, althoughimportant lessons could be learned from the European experience, a thorough study would have to be conductedbefore any SSS endeavour is initiated to ensure the important determining factors for its success are identified.This would enable SSS investors and authorities of countries involved to focus their limited resources to ensurethe success of their SSS undertaking