Environmental and energy performance of integrated passenger–freight transport

The first-last mile (FLM) transport of passengers and freight accounts for a significant share of total transport costs, pollution, and energy consumption. According to recent scientific literature and institutional inputs at the European level, operational innovations such as the combination of passenger and freight flows may be an effective approach for promoting sustainable and energy-efficient FLM transport. In this study, the energy and environmental performances of an integrated passenger and freight transport system based on the bus network of Zrenjanin (Serbia) were investigated with different future energy mix and transport policy scenarios. The operational aspects of the integrated system were designed through collaboration with territorial stakeholders and an analysis of local planning documents. The performance was evaluated and compared with current public transport and freight schemes considering vehicle fuel and technology, total mileage, and other relevant endogenous and exogenous factors. The results of our analysis indicate operational benefits and energy savings, mainly due to reduced total mileage and the predisposition to shift to the active modes for the last mile. However, most expected long-term energy savings are the result of technological development of vehicles and modal shifts induced by policy strategies.