Last-Mile Interface Bottlenecks and Collaborative Optimization Mechanisms in Seaport–Dry Port Multimodal Transport Systems: Evidence from the Ningbo–Zhoushan–Tashkent Corridor

Mu Zhendi

doi:https://journal.nordicuniversity.org/

Abstract

The last-mile issue of seaport–dry port multimodal transport systems is often regarded as a city distribution, terminal access or short-haul transport challenge. In this paper the problem is approached from a management and collaborative-governance perspective and an argument is put forward that for cross-border seaport–dry port corridors the last mile is not a spatial problem, but rather an interface-governance problem. The paper introduces the Last-Mile Interface Pressure Index (LMIPI) – a new conceptual diagnostic index based on the interface-governance framework of the paper – and outlines five friction dimensions that interact with each other, namely, physical friction, operational friction, institutional friction, data friction and incentive friction, using the case of the Ningbo–Zhoushan–Tashkent corridor. The study also extends the development of collaborative optimization mechanism of shared visibility, joint planning, process reengineering, responsibility sharing and performance linkage. The paper has two contributions. In theory, it expands last-mile studies to the seaport–dry port interface governance. Practically, it offers a management-oriented diagnostic and optimization framework in order to enhance the reliability and resilience of corridors under the Maritime Silk Road.

Keywords

Seaport–Dry Port System

Last-Mile Interface

Multimodal Transport Management

Collaborative Governance

Corridor Resilience

Maritime Silk Road

This article examines last-mile interface bottlenecks in seaport–dry port multimodal transport systems from a collaborative governance and management perspective. Using the Ningbo–Zhoushan–Tashkent corridor as the contextual case, the study identifies physical, operational, institutional, data and incentive frictions across key interface points. It proposes the Last-Mile Interface Pressure Index (LMIPI) as an original conceptual diagnostic index and develops collaborative optimization mechanisms for improving interface coordination, corridor reliability and resilience under the Maritime Silk Road framework.

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Rights & License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.