Analyzing Ro-Ro short sea shipping connectivity in Spain: supply instability and policy implications

• This study assesses changes in Ro-Ro connectivity of Spanish ports using the FPCI. • The 2009–2019 decade was challenging for Spanish Ro-Ro ports • Valencia, Barcelona, and Santander remained the best-connected ports. • Barcelona improved, whereas Valencia and Santander sustained connectivity. • Ro-Ro connectivity has been highly volatile, particularly for small ports. • Connectivity improvements do not always occur in the areas supported by MoS policy. • Our results suggest that tailored policies to different port fronts may be of relevance. In the last decades, Roll-on/Roll-off (Ro-Ro) short-sea-shipping (SSS) services have emerged as key alternative to road transport for achieving a shift in the intra-European Union modal pattern. Indeed, European and national policymakers opted for Ro-Ro as a promising means for removing trucks from the roads by designing various policy instruments. In this regard, it is deemed essential for shippers having a regular Ro-Ro SSS supply that matches their demand requirements. Thus, monitoring such Ro-Ro connectivity along time is crucial to identify patterns and assess the effectiveness of policies implemented. However, several studies have attempted to quantify maritime transport connectivity through synthetic indexes, but few have explored connectivity for Ro-Ro cargo. For this reason, this study explores the situation of Ro-Ro by examining connectivity changes at Spanish ports over a decade (2009–2019) using the existing Foreland Port Connectivity Index (FPCI). The results indicate the port of Valencia appears as the most connected port and the port Barcelona stands out as the most evolving. The regional analysis distinguishing between the two Spanish maritime fronts offers further insights and suggest uneven effectiveness of policy measures depending on the regional and local contexts of ports.