Strategic planning for multimodal transportation in ports

Multimodal transportation (MT) is a coordinate system for integration of different transportation systems. Today, MT in ports is more pronounced due to problems of shipping costs, road congestion, environmental concerns, and traffic safety. Too many parameters in MT development make it as a big challenge. It needs decision-making procedure to define MT development strategies. To respond to this need, internal and external criteria associated with transportation industry should well be known based on the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT). Shahid Rajaei port as the best representative of large international ports of Iran, faced with many challenges in MT development was studied. The components in port development were found through qualitative study and questionnaires among the port experts. Weights of the experts in decision-making procedures were obtained through their specialty, age, education, and work experience. The four-dimensional SWOT model was created to categorize the internal/external conditions of the port. To this end, the experts were asked to answer the questionnaires according to the Likert spectrum and the components of the SWOT model were graded through fuzzy analysis. Based on the SWOT components, experts created MT development strategies. The AHP method was used to rank the strategies. The superior strategies in MT development were: (1) sustaining the fame of the port through its facilities, (2) upgrading the knowledge/skills of local employees to have more contribution in the port, (3) increase of financial incentives and (4) development of the port infrastructures. Since there are many similarities in the infrastructures and challenges of this port with other major ports in the world, the results is applicable for other ports in the world that need MT development strategies.