Modes of transport

This involves the movement of goods and passengers by road, e.g., lorries, business trucks, pick-ups and tankers are the main units of carriage in road transport.

Advantages of road transport

1. Flexibility Road transport routes are connected to nearly all consumers where motor vehicles cannot reach; motor bicycles and pick-ups are used.
2. Speed When considering short distances, road transport is relatively fast. Loading and off-loading can be done anywhere, unlike railway and sea transport where this is done only at special designated stations.
3. Cost The transport cost for passengers and cargo is relatively cheaper compared to air transport.
4. Convenience There are no fixed timetables in road transport, thus making it convenient to travel at any time you need it. It affords the transport of any size of load at any time. It also allows passengers and goods to board, load, disembark, and off-load at any point.
5. Low construction and maintenance cost Initial and operating cost is relatively low compared to other modes of transport.

Disadvantages of road transport

1. Road transport can handle limited quantities of bulk and heavy materials like coal, timber, iron, cement, etc.
2. Road transport is expensive in congested areas, e.g., urban centres and industrial areas.
3. Weather conditions tend to disrupt road transport more easily than air transport.
4. Compared to air transport, road transport is slow to cover expected distances.
5. It is too risky, especially for delicate goods. This can cause breakage or destruction of goods like computers and glass materials, causing great loss.
6. Transport facilities contribute to air and water pollution in the world.
7. Construction of roads encourages land degradation.

This involves the carrying of goods and passengers by train. Railway transport is the means of transport that transports bulky goods.

Advantages of railway transport

1. It is convenient to businessmen in industries linked to railway tracks.
2. It is less affected by weather than other forms of transport.
3. Routes are more direct and there is a specific timetable of railway services.
4. It is suitable and quite cheap for carriage of bulky goods over long distances.
5. Rail services can be provided to a greater number of persons, and more load can be carried compared to road or air transport.
6. Passenger trains charge relatively cheap compared to other forms of transport, especially air transport.

Disadvantages of railway transport

1. Railway transport is not flexible because routes are fixed.
2. Its speed is low over short distances, i.e., it is a slow form of transport compared to road transport.
3. It is expensive for short runs and small cargoes.
4. Initial cost of setting up is quite higher, i.e., it is expensive to construct railway lines.
5. It has a fixed schedule, i.e., trains are timetabled, so users are limited by these schedules.

Water transport is the type of transport whereby goods are transported by using water, i.e., on seas, canals, lakes and rivers.

Advantages of water transport

1. Little time is wasted in traffic control.
2. The way is natural, i.e., no need for construction or maintenance expenses/expenditure.
3. It is cheapest for bulk and low-quality goods.
4. Breakable goods like glass can be carried without the danger of damage in the absence of shaking and jolting on inland waterways.
5. Where the port of dispatch and delivery are waterside, there are no added costs of collection and delivery.
6. Water transport is relatively free from weather conditions compared to road and air transport.
7. Special ships like oil tankers may be constructed to carry special types of goods. This is a great advantage that sea transport has over other forms of transport used for long distances.

Disadvantages of water transport

1. Maintenance charges of canals are high.
2. Providing facilities at ports may be very expensive. Not every country is blessed with natural harbours.
3. Perishable or urgently required goods cannot be transported by canal since their speed is low.
4. Canals serve a limited area where water exists. The same applies for sea, lake and river transport.
5. Canals and rivers suffer from drought in dry seasons and are liable to be frozen in very cold seasons.
6. Port congestion may lead to delay in delivery. This is particularly true of East African ports, which don't have enough facilities to handle the great volume of cargo off-loaded every day.

Air transport is the movement of goods and passengers by aeroplane.

Advantages of air transport

1. It provides regular, convenient, efficient and quick services.
2. There is greater security and protection in transit since there is a shorter travelling time.
3. Air transport is particularly suitable for the carrying of items where speed is essential, e.g., drugs for saving lives, mails, perishable and fashion goods.
4. It is suitable for transporting valuable items like gold, copper, glass, etc.
5. Air transport helps in transporting goods to areas inaccessible by any other means of transport.

Disadvantages of air transport

1. The cost of operation of air transport is higher compared to ocean, road or rail transport.
2. It can be affected by bad weather conditions, e.g., heavy storms, etc.
3. Dangerous articles like those which can easily catch fire and alike are not accepted on planes, e.g., fuel.
4. Aircraft have limited carrying capacity compared to railway and water transport.
5. It is not flexible, i.e., airports are allocated outside city centres.

These are types of pipes constructed to carry liquid materials such as oil. An example is the TAZAMA pipeline, which is jointly owned by Tanzania and Zambia and carries oil from Dar es Salaam to Ndola in Zambia.

• Pipeline can be constructed under or on the earth's surface.
• Sometimes pipelines include small pipes inside which more than one kind of liquid goods can be transported, e.g., one pipe can be used to transport petroleum, another kerosene, and another diesel, and so on.

The example shown below is one type of pipeline constructed on the earth's surface.

Advantages of pipeline transport

1. It is economical since it involves low cost of operation and maintenance.
2. It is not affected by unfavourable weather conditions.
3. It can cover long distances.
4. It can carry large volumes of goods.
5. It is a reliable source.

Disadvantages of pipeline transport

1. The risk of destruction is very high.
2. In case of accidents, enormous damage can occur.
3. It cannot be effective in mountainous areas.
4. Initial cost of construction is very high.
5. It is not suitable for solid goods.
6. In case of damage, it can cause environmental hazard.

It is a recent development that has revolutionized sea transport. It involves packing the cargo in standardized containers which are sealed by the exporter or his agents.

Container Ship

A container ship, the Arlberg, leaves New York Harbor. The ship is part of an intermodal transport system in which containers can be transferred between ships, lorries, trains and planes.

Advantages of containerization

1. Use of modern cargo-handling machinery. Machines like automatic cranes can handle cargo effectively when the goods are packed in containers.
2. Use of modern machines saves time and labour handling costs.
3. Efficient use of space. When goods are packed in containers, it is possible to use only small space than if they could be ordinarily wrapped. This aspect is very important especially in modern transport where terminals handle large volumes of goods.
4. Safety. Containers are sealed at the exporter's premises and delivered without the seal being broken to the importer, which makes them safer from loss or damage. Also, as containers usually do not bear any marks showing the contents, the risk of theft is minimized. This means insurance premiums are lower on containerized cargo and goods arrive in better condition.
5. Transporting containers by road after they have reached the port of destination is also simpler than handling a mass of irregularly shaped goods.

Disadvantages of containerization

1. Not suitable for small quantities where the cargo is not enough to fill the whole container. Then it is impossible to transport the items by these methods.
2. Required special machinery. If the terminals don't have modern tools like cranes, winches and the like, transporting goods through containers becomes difficult and sometimes impossible.
3. Increasing cost of goods. Containerization adds costs to the importer as the containers have to be paid. In most cases, exporters don't own containers but borrow them from firms specializing in the services.
4. Unsuitable for some goods. Containerization is not suitable for bulky and awkwardly shaped items because of the size.