MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION - ECONOMIC AND LEGAL VIEWPOINT FROM CROATIA AND TURKEY

In today's global economy, multimodal transport systems have become the pillar of international trade. Multimodal transportation is a strategic type of transportation that includes companies' costs and many other advantages, as well as the vital importance of countries' ecological and port traffic development. Their main objective is the reduction of overall transport and handling costs within the supply chain while at the same time trying to respond to the demand for just-in-time, door-to-door cargo services. Multimodal transportation to the EU transport policy wants to establish mobility that will be sustainable, environment-friendly, and energy-efficient. These objectives can be accomplished by multimodal transport of the people and goods that optimally blends the different methods of transport by maximizing each one's strength and diminishing the weaknesses. Various national and international bodies try to create multimodality policies and regulations for securing better incorporation of the different transport modes and creating better interoperability at all transport system levels. The paper aims to examine legal and economic viewpoints on multimodal transportation and to identify their impact and barriers for further development in Croatia and Turkey. The first part of the paper gives a literature review about multimodal transport from the economic and legal viewpoint. The second part of the paper examines the current situation in Croatia and Turkey. Finally, in the last section, conclusions and the proposals for further research are given.