The River Information System (RIS) as an Innovation in the Transport System

Inland shipping is one of the most neglected transport modes in Eastern Europe. Despite its indisputable advantages, such as the ability to transport goods of high weight and volume at the lowest unit transportation cost, low environmental impact and thus the lowest external costs, inland shipping does not play a significant role as a transport branch in many countries of the European Union. This is primarily due to the poor condition of the waterway infrastructure, the maintenance of which has not been properly financed for decades. In the public’s opinion, IWT is often considered an outdated form of transportation that does not meet the current needs of the transportation market. This article aims to indicate that the RIS system is an important tool for managing inland waterways and inland shipping. Therefore, it is also an important innovation which can redefine the role of IWT in the transport system. RIS can contribute to improving the logistic systems and transport safety. The literature analysis, descriptive statistics and taxonomic analysis were carried out to present the importance of the RIS system and its innovativeness. The study contributes to the discussion on the impact of modern information services and IT-tools on inland shipping and its role in modern transport systems. Inland waterborne transport is the missing mode, which could supplement the infrastructure deficits, and with the use of the RIS system, interconnect inland shipping into the transportation chains.