Hunan has issued its first operating license for “on-demand boats.”

　　On April 23, reporters learned from the Hunan Chenglingji Port Group that Hunan's first online platform waterway cargo transportation business license was recently issued in Yueyang Lingang High-tech Zone, marking the official entry of Hunan's waterway freight into the "online booking" era.

　　The license was obtained by the "Hunan Port and Shipping Multimodal Transport Integrated Service Platform" (referred to as "platform") developed by Port and Shipping Digital Intelligence Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Hunan Chenglingji Port Group. In the future, cargo owners can conveniently publish cargo sources, select ships, and track cargo dynamics in real-time through the online platform, enjoying a visual experience similar to e-commerce shopping. Shipowners can also receive orders online, effectively alleviating the previous difficulties of "finding cargo" and "waiting for cargo for a long time."

　　For a long time, traditional waterway freight has faced issues such as information asymmetry, multiple transaction steps, and low operational efficiency. The certified platform comprehensively utilizes technologies such as big data, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things to build a waterway freight service ecosystem that integrates information publishing, transaction matching, logistics tracking, online payment, and credit rating, promoting precise docking and efficient collaboration among ships, cargo, ports, and enterprises.

　　It is reported that such licenses were previously piloted in a few waterway-developed provinces like Jiangsu. As an inland province, Hunan's ability to take the lead is attributed to Yueyang's special position in integrating into the "Belt and Road Initiative" and connecting the Yangtze River Economic Belt—Chenglingji Port Area is Hunan's only "bridgehead" connecting the river and the sea. With the coordinated efforts of provincial and municipal transportation departments and Yueyang Free Trade Zone, the local area leveraged the institutional innovation advantages of the Free Trade Zone and facilitated the issuance of this license through a "case-by-case discussion" approach, becoming an important practice for Hunan to seize the new digital logistics track and enhance the node function of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

　　The issuance of this license not only strategically empowers Yueyang's geographical advantages but also significantly enhances the Chenglingji Port Area's ability to radiate and drive the Xiang, Zi, Yuan, and Li river basins and the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River. It helps Hunan accelerate its transformation from an "inland hinterland" to an "open frontier." After the platform's operation, it will improve the informatization and intelligence level of waterway logistics across the province, further reduce social logistics costs, and provide digital support for optimizing the business environment and building a highland for inland reform and opening up. Additionally, regulatory authorities can rely on platform data to achieve full-process dynamic supervision, more effectively regulate market order, and combat illegal operations.

　　A relevant person in charge of Hunan Chenglingji Port Group stated that the next step for the group is to continuously optimize platform services and actively explore the application of large-scale digital logistics models, empowering the high-quality development of Hunan's waterway transportation through digitalization.