Ref: 53
Title
Impact of Sustainable Transport on Economic Growth
Abstract
Transport promotes economic growth but at the same time it is serious threat to
development due to its negative effects (it pollutes air, water, soil, causes greenhouse
effect, etc.). Pollution is harmful for life on Earth in general, thus transport
development should be based upon principles of sustainable development.
County Credited
CROATIA
Author Details
AUTHOR 1
Title of author
Surname
First Name
Name of Institution
Address of Institution
Ph. D.
Vasilj
Aleksandra
J. J. Strossmayer University in Osijek
Faculty of Law Osijek
Stjepana Radića 13
HR – 31 000 Osijek, Croatia
avasilj@pravos.hr
E-mail address of author
Author biography
Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law in Osijek, on subjects Maritime and
General Transport Law.
She participated in many science research projects and is author of many papers
presented at domestic and international conferences and journals.
She is also a member of Croatian Scientific Society for transport and Croatian
Maritime Law Association.
AUTHOR 2
L.L.M
Title of author
Činčurak
Surname
Biljana
First Name
J. J. Strossmayer University in Osijek
Name of Institution
Faculty of Law Osijek
Stjepana Radića 13
Address of Institution
HR – 31 000 Osijek, Croatia
biljana.cincurak@pravos.hr
E-mail address of author
Author biography
Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Law in Osijek, on subjects Maritime and
General Transport Law.
She is author of a number of papers. She has attended many conferences.
She is also a member of Croatian Scientific Society for transport.
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Category
Sustainable Development
Theme
Environment
Sustainable Consumption
Type of Contribution
Research Paper
2
Impact of Sustainable Transport on Economic Growth
Aleksandra Vasilj and Biljana Činčurak
1. INTRODUCTION
Transport promotes economic growth but at the same time it is serious threat to
development due to its negative effects. Transport has a harmful effect on
environment since it pollutes air, water, soil, causes greenhouse effect, congestion,
acid rain. Furthermore, it increases level of noise and generally has negative impact
on environment, health and climate change. Road traffic, especially motor vehicles, is
the biggest pollutant of environment.
2. ROAD TRANSPORT –THE MOST POPULAR MODE OF
TRANSPORTATION IN SPITE OF HIGH LIVING COSTS
Number of motor vehicles is increasing and in turn the consumption of fuel is
increasing causing more intensive emission of pollutants in the air. Thus, the road
transport is the greatest threat to the environment.
Table 1.
Registered road motor vehicles in the Republic of Croatia
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
1 241 522
1 323 653
1 401 010
1 494 745
1 571 775
1 649 851
1 720 119
1 790 971
Source: Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, Republic of Croatia Central bureau of
statistics, 2006, p. 345.
Despite efforts to promote the popularity of other transport modes, especially in
congested areas, the car remains the most important personal means of transport.
In total transport of goods, share of road transport is also high. Distances between
consumers and producers grow, thus more goods are transported over longer distances
and more frequently. Road transport is generally faster and more flexible when
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compared to other modes (especially rail and inland waterways transport), and can
therefore adapt much faster to changes in production sites. In addition, road networks
are developed much faster than rail networks.
Table 2.
Structure of transport of passengers and Structure of transport of goods in the
Republic of Croatia, 2005
Structure of transport of passengers
Structure of transport of goods
13%
Road
transport
34%
54%
2%
52%
Railway
transport
27%
Air transport
10%
Seawater and
coastal
transport
0,4
%
8%
Road
transport
Railway
transport
Seawater and
coastal
transport
Inland
waterway
transport
Pipeline
transport
Source: Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, Republic of Croatia Central bureau of
statistics, 2006, p. 360.
Although, living costs as well as fuel price are increasing, most people can afford a
car and thus they do not need to depend on public transport. “This trend is modulated
by increasing congestion which constrains the spreading of people, because there is a
limit to how much time they will spend on daily transport. But time pressure in two
income households means that people favour improvements to the infrastructure, as
this will save them time — at least until traffic growth brings motorway traffic to a
standstill again. So, there is pressure from both freight transport users and passengers
to improve the transport system to allow for more transport.”1
Generally, the main living costs are those for food, non-alcoholic beverages, clothing,
housing, energy and transport. Structure of personal consumption in Croatian
1
Transport and environment: on the way to a new common transport policy, European Environment
Agency, Copenhagen, 2007, p. 9.
4
households, in year 2005, shows that in total consumption, share of transport is
10.86%.2
"There is a link between economic growth and transport volume growth. Most of the
activities that are tabulated and added together to calculate GDP have a transport
component. A better transport system is a precondition for a certain type of economic
development, and economic development in turn requires more transport."3
Since the mid 90s, Croatia has witnessed a steady growth of GDP and in the period
1995-2006, the average real GDP growth rate amounted to 4.4%.
Table 3.
GDP per capita in the Republic of Croatia, in US$
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
4421,9
4398,2
4850,1
4371,1
4152,6
4476,2
5186,9
6665,7
8029,9
8753,4
Source: Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, Republic of Croatia Central bureau of
statistics, 2006, p. 196.
Due to rising incomes, increasing car ownership and better infrastructure, road
transport is going to achieve great development. We should also notice that with
rising incomes leisure travel is increasing too, and that is how it also becomes a
significant contributor to the increased passenger transport.
3. ROAD TRANSPORT AS AIR POLLUTANT
Transport, especially road traffic, has a harmful effect on environment since it
pollutes air, water, soil. Furthermore, it increases level of noise and generally has
harmful impact on environment, health and climate change. Combustion of fossil
fuels causes emission of harmful gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect and
acid rain (CO2, CO, CH, NOX, SO2), solid particles (dust, soot, smoke) and metals
(Pb, Cu, Zn).
2
Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, Republic of Croatia Central bureau of statistics, 2006,
p. 191.
3
Transport and environment: on the way to a new common transport policy, European Environment
Agency, 2007, p. 10.
5
Table 4.
Emission of pollutants by transport mode
Pollutant
Road transport
Railway transport
Air transport
Maritime and Inland
waterways transport
CO2
98
1
0.3
0.2
NOx
90.5
4
0.5
5
CH
95
1
1
3
CO2
80
4
11
5
SO2
74
10
2
14
Solid particles
85
5
3
7
Source: J Golubić, Promet i okoliš, Fakultet prometnih znanosti, Zagreb, 1999, p. 17.
Table 5.
Share of vehicles in pollution of the environment
Vehicle
Fuel%
CO2%
NOx%
CH%
Passenger cars
60
95.9
64.3
80.5
Motorcycles
0.5
1.3
0.1
6.0
Buses
1.9
0.3
2.3
1.9
Goods vehicles
19.6
1.7
28.2
10.1
Railway transport
4.5
0.1
2.1
0.5
Inland waterway transport
1.7
0.2
1.5
0.4
Air transport
6.8
0.5
1.6
0.6
Source: J Golubić, Promet i okoliš, Fakultet prometnih znanosti, Zagreb, 1999, p. 183.
3. 1. AIR QUALITY AND ITS PROTECTION FROM HARMFUL EFFECTS
OF ROAD TRAFFIC
The general state of environment in Croatia is relatively good, compared to the
situation in EU industrial countries. This is mainly because of the low harmful impact
of the heavy industries (due to their collapse in the 1990s), and the country benefits
from a number of natural advantages such as: unique and relatively well preserved
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natural environment, high level of biodiversity, high stores of fresh water etc.
However, the degree of environmental protection is lower than in other developed
countries, primarily due to insufficient investment.
The air quality is monitored at local and state level. Croatia has a local air qualitymonitoring network, with measuring stations operating in towns or settlements. A
national state air quality monitoring network is being established with 8 monitoring
stations in industrial/urban areas. The plan is to develop and expand the network all
over the country.
Between year 1997 and 2004 in 63% towns, settlements, air quality was of 1st
category (clean or inconsiderably polluted) in 22% of 2nd category (moderate
polluted) and in 15% of 3rd category (excessively polluted air) and main pollutions
were: SO2, NO2, H2S), particles sediment and smoke.4
Spreading and transmission of pollutants from neighbouring countries by air leads to
additional air pollution. Transmission of pollutants from other states to our country is
big and amounts 60 to 80 %.5
In urban areas, motorised transport has many negative effects. The challenge for
future urban transport systems is developed transport that will at the same time
minimise the impact on the environment. Using the least polluting mode of transport
is a direct way of reducing the environmental impact of transport. Rail is in most
cases cleaner than other land transport modes. Inland waterways and maritime
transport are also more acceptable modes of transport in economic and ecological
terms. Therefore, our transport policy includes shifting the traffic to rail, rivers and
sea.
The Republic of Croatia has committed itself to protect and preserve the environment
by the enactment of laws that regulate environment protection. However, laws that are
related to the transport often do not achieve stated goals. Transport is insufficiently
represented in the county programs related to the environment issues and only a few
cities have detailed transport studies regarding the impact on the environment while
4
5
Izvješće o stanju okoliša u Republici Hrvatskoj, Agencija za zaštitu okoliša, 2007, p. 111.
Ibid., p. 115.
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majority of studies are focusing more on the transport organization. The state should
strictly enforce laws and take additional measures. Some measures are already taken special taxation at car registration as well as obligatory ECO-test at car registration,
are good basis. Individuals can also contribute by using alternative fuel, public
transportation, etc.
As a candidate country for EU membership, the Republic of Croatia must harmonize
its legislation in the area regarding environment, which is one of the most complex
chapter of negotiations. Costs of harmonization are high, therefore financial sources
from the EU pre-accession programs and funds should be used.
4. CONCLUSION
The development of transport links and modes is a necessary precondition for
economic development, but on the other hand, a sector that has a major influence on
the environment. Protection of environment is the global problem and assignment,
thus it is not surprising that it has a support of the entire international community.
Number of motor vehicles is increasing and the consumption of fuel is increasing too,
which cause more intensive emission of pollutants in the air. Pollution is harmful for
life on Earth in general, thus transport development should be based upon principles
of sustainable development.
Sustainable development offers to each country and at a global level, a positive longterm vision of a society that is more prosperous and more just, and which promises a
cleaner, safer, healthier environment - a society which delivers a better quality of life
for us, our children and future generations. Achieving this in practice requires that
economic growth supports social progress and respects the environment.
Environmental protection requirements must be integrated into all relevant sectors
(transport, energy, agriculture, tourism, etc.). This means that environmental
protection should be an integral part of transport infrastructure development, as well
as of energy, agriculture, and industrial development.
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The general state of environment in Croatia is good, compared to EU industrial
countries. However, laws that are related to the transport often do not achieve stated
goals. The state should strictly enforce laws and take additional measures while
individuals can also contribute by using alternative fuel, public transportation, etc.
Along with its own solutions, the Republic of Croatia is also going to seek ideas in
experiences of European countries.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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