Motorway of the Sea (MoS) Turkey-Italy-Tunisia Project
The Project aims at developing a seamless intermodal goods transport service that will bridge Turkey (Izmir) with the Maghreb area through Tunisia (Tunis and Rades). The service will call in the Italian ports of Bari, Brindisi and Taranto. The Project will aim to optimize freight transport, logistics chain and the connection of the different shores of the Mediterranean through offering a high frequency port-to-port Roll-on-Roll-off (Ro-Ro) service. The service will positively contribute to the expansion of trade relations among UfM countries through a combination of Short Sea Shipping with other modes of transport (road and rail). Further, it will enhance the global competitiveness of the Mediterranean while complementing and create synergies with the existing Mediterranean transport system.
To ensure more efficient, sustainable and profitable trade relations between the north-western and south-eastern shores of the Mediterranean basin, the Mediterranean maritime transport and logistics sectors needs some improvement. Motorways of the Sea (MoS) act as a catalyst for economic and social development of the region as a whole, as well as for regional integration. The MoS concept was identified as a priority in the UfM “Joint Declaration of the Paris Summit for the Mediterranean” adopted by the Heads of State or Governments at the Euro-Mediterranean Summit held on 13th July 2008.
Starting in January 2017, the project foresees a MoS seamless intermodal goods transport service that will bridge Turkey (Mersin and Izmir) with the Maghreb through Tunisia (Tunis and Rades), with calls in the Italian ports of Bari, Brindisi and Taranto, offering a high frequency port-to-port Ro-Ro service combining Short Sea Shipping with other modes of transport (road and rail). Other Maghreb countries could also take advantage of the new maritime services.
With a total cost of over € 477 M and expected revenues of € 602 M during an operational life cycle of 20 years, the Project will be strategic for the development of the Mediterranean region. The new service is expected to have considerable environmental benefits from the transfer of an important part of road traffic to maritime traffic (generating relevant savings in congestion, air pollution and road safety), as well as from the shift from road to rail (using the Italian railway system for the goods loaded/unloaded in the ports of Puglia to shift a considerable number of trucks from the congested motorways to the railway system).
The Project will not only connect the Eastern, Southern and Northern shores of the Mediterranean, it will also reinforce, complement and create synergies with the existing Mediterranean transport system, in serving to connect the Trans-European Transport Network to the Trans-Mediterranean Transport Network, thus facilitating exchanges between the two rims of the Mediterranean. Moreover, the Project will optimize freight transport and logistics chains and integrate the maritime transport in global logistics chain to contribute to strengthening the global competitiveness of the Mediterranean.
About the promoter and partner institutions
The Promoter of the Project is the Turkish Chamber of Commerce in Italy, with the technical support of the Italian College of Railway Engineers (CIFI) and of “Titi Shipping”, a maritime company based in Brindisi, under the patronage of the Honorary General Consulate of Turkey in Brindisi.
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