Project of a small-size ferry with outboard motors for operation on inland waterways

This paper presents an empirical study devoted to the operation of ferry crossings in Astrakhan Oblast. The research focuses on four ferry crossings — Bol’shoy Magoy, Sizyy Bugor, Sedlistoye, and Trudfront — selected based on an analysis of the socio-economic characteristics of the settlements within their service areas. The subject of the study is the factors determining the efficiency of ferry crossing operations. As an example, the ferry crossing in the village of Bol’shoy Magoy is examined, including its geographical location, demographic data, and the level of social infrastructure development. The main objective of the research was to identify the problems and factors that reduce the efficiency of ferry operations in the region. To address this, a data analysis method was used, drawing on bibliographic sources and including the study of the technical condition of vessels and infrastructure, as well as analysis of passenger flows. The results of the study showed that the operation of ferry crossings is characterized by low efficiency, due to several factors: the significant age of equipment (the average age of tugs is fifty-eight years, ferries about twenty years), low utilization (fifty percent of potential capacity), poor condition of access roads, and the lack of proper berthing facilities (often represented by unimproved clay embankments). The main conclusion is the urgent need to modernize ferry crossings in Astrakhan Oblast to improve their efficiency and ensure transport accessibility for remote settlements. The results can be used to develop targeted programs for the development of the region’s transport infrastructure. One of the acute problems is the depopulation of rural areas, especially pronounced in remote settlements where access routes are interrupted by water barriers and there are no bridge crossings. In such conditions, ferry crossings become an indispensable element of the transport infrastructure, ensuring mobility and connecting rural areas with district and regional centers, where jobs and social services are concentrated. Inefficient operation of ferry crossings, due to an outdated fleet, a shortage of qualified personnel, and difficulties with repairs, leads to a decline in the quality of transport services, which exacerbates the problem of depopulation. The results of this study may be used to develop and implement measures for the modernization of ferry crossings in Astrakhan Oblast and other regions of Russia for the development of transport infrastructure. The obtained data will help optimize the operation of existing ferry crossings, reduce operating costs, and improve the quality of transport services. The proposals developed can be used by local authorities when planning and financing transport infrastructure development projects.