Studies on the impact of road freight transport and alternative modes in Australia: a literature study

Abstract

AbstractThe freight sector in Australia has been growing at an ever-increasing rate due to domestic and international demand for goods, commodities, and resources. Increased volume of traffic comes with increased greenhouse gas. Greenhouse gas impacts climate change and air pollution, increasing the risk of public health and safety. The European Union used Marco Polo to shift transit freight from road to sea, rail, and inland waterways to reduce the number of trucks on the road to lessen congestion, less pollution, and more reliable and efficient transport of goods. Fuel Tax Credit was similarly introduced in Australia to address some of these issues. It is now time to analyse the impact of these schemes. This paper is a systematic literature review using the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool and Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. Findings include using alternative modes of transport for long distances reduces carbon dioxide and the likelihood of using renewable fuels like electric and hydrogen fuel for trucks. However, research was limited on renewable fuels.