The standardisation of inland port due foundations

Main ports like Rotterdam are important hubs for the world economy. However, without adequate hinterland connections seaports would not be able to flourish. It is not surprising that changes in the Dutch economy are especially visible at important economical nodes in the hinterland. In the coming years, the Netherlands are facing a big challenge regarding sustainability, digitalization and connectivity. A smart, sustainable and integrated transport system will be a necessity in solving this and an adequate, future-proof inland port structure will be essential. One of the few knobs that can be turned to influence behaviour are port dues. They can be used to reward desirable behaviour and tax undesirable behaviour. Most inland port dues in the Netherlands however, are based on a variation of historical foundations. This results in a variety of port due structures. Not only is this conflicting with the level of integration of the Dutch inland port structure, it can also be expected that the historical foundation no longer is the optimal for current transport systems.