POSSIBILITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT OF INLAND PORTS IN POLAND AS THE LOGISTICS CENTRES

Abstract: Numerous advantages of inland navigation have caused river ports to play an important role in shaping of logistics systems in Western European countries. Due to connections to the rail and road networks and possessing reloading and warehousing potential, these ports are natural transport junctions predestined for the role of logistics centres. As a result, a significant part of the Western European ports have transformed into independent multi-functional centres which provide logistics services to the firms from various industries. The possibilities for transforming Polish inland ports into independent entities, which perform logistics duties, are very limited. Only the port in Gliwice has greater chances of joining logistics systems. Due to their convenient location in the stream of Pan European transport corridors, the remaining, relatively bigger ports, especially the ones in Kostrzyn and Wroclaw may perform limited logistics functions. The realness of these assumptions is in great extent conditioned by progresses in execution of inland water road networks modernisation programmes in Poland.