A heuristic algorithm is described for a time-constrained version of the advance-request, multi-vehicle, many-to-many Dial-A-Ride Problem (DARP). The time constraints consist of upper bounds on: (1) the amount of time by which the pick-up or delivery of a customer can deviate from the desired...

We develop an O(N2) heuristic to solve the single vehicle many-to-many Euclidean Dial-A-Ride problem. The heuristic is based on the Minimum Spanning Tree of the modes of the problem. The algorithm's worst case performance is four times the length of the optimal Dial-A-Ride tour. An analysis of...

We develop an optimization procedure for assisting decision-makers in the allocation of resources for cleaning up a specific oil spill. The objective function is to minimize a weighted combination of spill-specific response and damage costs. Inputs to this problem include information about the...

In this paper we examine computational complexity issues and develop algorithms for a class of "shoreline" single-vehicle routing and scheduling problems with release time constraints. Problems in this class are interesting for both practical and theoretical reasons. From a practical...

Emissions from commercial shipping are currently the subject of intense scrutiny. Among the top fuel-consuming categories of ships and hence air polluters are container vessels. The main reason is their high service speed. Lately, speed reduction has become a very popular operational measure to...

We explore dynamic programming solutions for a multi-commodity, capacitated pickup and delivery problem. Cargo flows are given by an origin/destination matrix which is not necessarily symmetric. This problem is a generalization of several known pickup and delivery problems, as regards both...

The 2008 credit crunch and the subsequent economic crisis ended a period that lasted over two decades wherein international seaports around the globe experienced double-digit volume increases. This chapter provides an analysis of the structural effects that the crisis has on seaports, focusing...

Terminal concessions in seaports have only recently gained interest in academic circles. Issues such as the allocation mechanisms (to be) used for granting those concessions, the determination of the concession term and concession fees, as well as the inclusion of special clauses aimed at...

This paper examines the evolution of the European Union (EU) Port Policy within a historical perspective. Analysing the changing aspects of the sectoral socio-economic context and the alterations of the institutional setting, the paper explains the slow start towards a European Port Policy...