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Case Studies | Transport Studies | China | Volume 13 Issue 2, February 2024

Smart Road Networks in Urban Freight Transport for Sustainable City Logistics

Shilimi Moono | Jiani Wu

Abstract: The burgeoning urbanization and population growth in African cities have precipitated a surge in freight transport demand, giving rise to challenges such as pollution, congestion, and environmental degradation. Addressing these issues, smart road networks (SRNs) have emerged as a progressive solution for sustainable urban freight transport. The present paper investigates the details of two research methods used for route optimization challenges. The first method is a multi-route planning system that employs a variety of algorithms to calculate the most optimal route. This system is capable of addressing complex route optimization challenges with near-optimal outcomes. The second is the continuous approximation model, which is used to calculate road network problems where customer locations differ on a daily basis. The study centers on the city of Lusaka in Zambia which has been considered as a case study to explore the potential of SRNs in fostering sustainable city logistics. Results have shown that by the implementation of SRNs would reduce delivery times by providing optimal routes for drivers. Furthermore, packages can be tracked in real time using vehicle-to-infrastructure technologies.

Keywords: smart road networks, urban freight transport, sustainability, city logistics

Edition: Volume 13 Issue 2, February 2024,

Pages: 722 - 730