Studies on mobility and the organisation of transport do not usually take sufficient account of short-distance travel: journeys made on foot, by bicycle or by "people movers". When designing urban areas, planners underestimate the number of trips made by foot and the scope for non-motorised...

In view of the growing congestion of inland transport infrastructure, both road and rail, short sea shipping clearly warrants consideration as a valuable alternative. It is, in fact, a branch of transport activity that has attracted little attention, so its potential is still to be assessed....