Evaluation of urban freight transport operations in Surakarta city

Civil Engineering Department, Engineering Faculty, Sebelas Maret University, Jl. Ir. Sutami 36A, Surakarta ( 57126), Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: budi.yulianto@ft.uns.ac.id

Abstract

In an effort to monitor and control the urban freight transport, the Municipal Government of Surakarta City issue a dispensation license for freight vehicles through the inner-city road. Nevertheless, the facts indicate that traffic violations by freight vehicles against the provisions of existing regulations are relatively high and thus have the potential to decrease the level of safety, road service and environmental sustainability. This is due to the weakness of the system of monitoring and the control of urban freight transport is low both in terms of technicality and legality. The research’s aims are to evaluate and improve the current system of monitoring and control of urban freight transport related to the provision of the dispensation license for freight vehicles through the inner-city road in Surakarta City. The analysis results indicate that the percentage of unlicensed urban freight transport is significant in number, and no clarity is associated with licensing dispensation for urban freight transport weighing > 9,000 kg, a significant number of traffic violations, road bearing capacity of freight transport routes do not correspond to the vehicle weight. Various recommendations are proposed for improving the current system of monitoring and of the control of urban freight transport.