Thursday 28 March 2024

Transport and logistics forum to be an annual event after successful first edition

In a sign of growing importance of transport and logistics sectors in Malta, a large number of industry associates and specialists attended the 1st Transport Manager & Practitioners Forum 2014. During the Forum a broad range of today’s challenges came under discussion for tomorrow’s solutions.

Supported by HSBC Bank Malta and held on the sidelines of the inaugural TransLog Awards 2014, the Forum got underway with a welcome speech by organiser Alex Borg, Director SSM Group (pictured above), who reiterated the need for the industry to participate in platforms such as the Transport Manager & Practitioners Forum to foster exchange of knowledge and best practices for the benefit of the industry in Malta.

Owing to tremendous industry response, the organisers of the 1st Transport Manager & Practitioners Forum 2014 have committed to make it an annual event.

“The quality of discourse, both from local and international experts, was of a high technical standard and bodes well for future gatherings,” said Mr Borg.

HSBC Bank Malta Head of Global Banking & Markets James Woodeson addressed the audience and signalled out the Bank’s commitment to the sectors.

“At HSBC, we want to be where the growth is. This is why HSBC is delighted to be sponsoring the TransLog Forum and Awards. We believe that logistics, warehousing and distribution can provide lots of opportunities for Maltese businesses and could become a main pillar of the Maltese economy,” said James Woodeson.

 

Transport Malta Chairman & CEO James Piscopo said: “My thumbs to the organisers for having the insight to recognise an industry gap that existed and for their initiative to fill it with this interesting Forum.  Over the past months, Transport Malta has been working on a holistic, multi modal national transport strategy. Our team of internal experts, together with our consultants Jaspers and other European partners, are analysing all modes of transport with a view to identifying not only the challenges of today and tomorrow but also suggesting a wide array of action-oriented policies aimed at driving us forward and ahead.”

In his presentation on the use of radio-frequency identification (RFID), David Seisun of Sixteen Ltd explained the benefits of RFID to the industry. “The future of logistics lays in the better use of data and information systems. Most Maltese logistics companies still rely on pen and paper to collect data from the field, yet newer and more sophisticated technologies like RFID have long demonstrated the ability to make operations efficient,” said David Seisun.

 

Thérèse Bajada from the Institute for Climate Change and Sustainable Development, University of Malta presented the Institute’s ongoing research.  The presentation, entitled ‘Infrastructure and GIS’ illustrated the basic principles of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and its use in the transport industry.  Work on traffic flow modelling, planning for the University’s Green Travel Plan and modelling pollution impact related to traffic were some of the research presented at the Forum.

International consultant, Keith Mortimer of ITS UK discussed the benefits of ‘Intelligent Transport Systems’ and how Malta can benefit from the application of IT and communications technologies to assist the safe and efficient traffic and transport operations.

“The price to taxpayers of dealing with incidents, road deaths and injuries, toxic emissions, noise and greenhouse gases, and delays from congestion every year was significant. Instead of wasting resources, targeted investment in technology-based programmes could help to reduce personal and public costs while channelling needed funds into projects to improve driver services and enhance quality of life for citizens,” said Keith Mortimer.

The importance of the National Road Safety Strategy (NRSS) document for safer land transport system was highlighted by Audrey Testaferrata de Noto, Director Traffic Management and Road Safety Department at Transport Malta, in her presentation.

“The NRSS sets out a 10 year direction for a safer land transport system and focuses on the main areas where there is evidence that a sustained and coordinated effort leads to considerable gains and where measures may be implemented, which give long-term improvement with the aim of achieving a 50% reduction in fatalities, 30% reduction in grievous injuries and 20% reduction in slight injuries by the year 2020,” noted Audrey Testaferrata de Noto.

 

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