Geography
Transport
Geography is the study of places and the relationship between people and their environment. Geographers explore both the physical properties of the Earth's surface and the human societies spread across it.In the context of dynamic and changing world, it is very crucial to study Geography so as to be able to achieve sustainable human development.
Transport
Introduction
In this chapter, you will learn about the meaning of transport, classification and types of transport, the importance of transport and problems facing the transport industry
OBJECTIVES
By the end of this topic, you will be able to give the meaning of transport, describe the main types of transport system at international (global) and East Africa regional level, explain the importance of transport in Tanzania and East Africa, identify problems facing transportation in East Africa, and explain the measures to address transport problems in Tanzania
Main Types of Transport
Main Types of Transport System at Global and East African Level
Describe the main types of transport system at global and East African level
Transport refers to the movement of people, animals, goods or services from one place to another. Transport provides a link between different parts of the country, region or world. The movement of the people, animals, goods or services from one place to another can be either permanently or temporarily due to various reasons. Usually, types of transport are classified according to the mode by which the people, animals, goods or services move from one location to another.
Types of Modes of Transport
Modes of transport refer to the means by which people, goods, animals or services are moved from one location to another. There are three broad modes of transport. They include land transport, human transport, animal transport, Road transport, Railway transport, Pipeline transport, Air transport and Water transport
1. Land transport
This is a kind of transport that takes place on the land surface. Land transport includes five categories, namely, human transport, animal transport, road transport, railway transport and pipeline transport
2. Human transport
Human transport is also called human portage. Human transport is the transport of people and/or goods using human muscle power, in the form of walking, running and swimming. This is the old means of transport that is still used today by the majority of the people in various parts of the world. Human transport involves people carrying light and less bulky goods from one place to another. By human transport people individually or in groups carry goods on their heads, backs, and shoulders or hold them in their hands from the source or supply point to the destination point. In some cases, the movement of goods can be done with the support or use of machines which aid both the carrying and movement. The common machines which support or used together in human transport include wheelbarrows, hand carts, or trolleys
Human transport also involves commercial human transport. Human transport by commercial human point occurs when specialized people called porters are paid to carry the goods from source or supply points to various destination points. Commercial human transport is still common in less developed countries including Tanzania. Human transport remains a popular mode of transport for reasons of cost saving, leisure, physical exercise and prevention of pollution, hence, it is considered an environment friendly mode of transport because it does not involve emission of pollutant gases or liquids. It also environment friendly mode of transport because use of people refrains the users from the use of motor vehicles which release fumes that pollute the environment. It is also the only and most convenient mode of transport in undeveloped or inaccessible places, such as mountainous or swampy areas. Further, Human scan walk carrying the goods even in areas with undeveloped path or road infrastructure, transport can be enhanced through the use of roads, especially when using human power with vehicles, such as bicycles and carts
Advantages of human transport
- Availability: It is a means of transport that is readily available all the time. It may also be the only means available where other forms of transport cannot be used
- Cheap: Human transport is cheap and affordable than any other form of transporting light and less bulky goods or items. It can be used anywhere and by everybody. Where the owner of the goods or items transports his/her own goods or items, no charges and costs are incurred
- Safety: It is safer than road, air or water transport because few accidents occur or are likely to occur during transportation of the goods.
- Flexibility: Human transport can be used to transport different types of goods to various places in urban and rural areas. It is convenient as it is not affected by congestion
- It complements other forms of transport like road and railway transports. When goods arrive at the destination, they are carried to places where they can be transported by other means of transport. This includes moving goods to warehouses, stores, onshore, or across areas inaccessible by vehicles
- Human transport does not pollute the environment as it does not involve the release of gases as compared to other forms of transport. It causes little or no noise, emits no smoke and spills no oil
Disadvantages of human transport
- It is extremely slow and laborious.
- It depends on the physical fitness of the person. When sick or injured, transport cannot be undertaken. Thus, it is severely curtailed by sickness or injuries
- It is not suitable for carrying heavy and bulky goods. It is not also convenient for carrying goods over long distances. This transport is only suitable for carrying light goods over short distances.
3. Animal transport
Animal transport is the use of animals for movement of people and goods to different destinations. Since ancient times to date, animals have been used as a means of transport. In the past animal transport was used to compliment human transport. This was the case especially when the goods and people were to be moved over long distances
Currently, animal transport is used to compliment and feed the modern means of transport from different sources or supply points. In the more remote rural areas especially in developing countries, animal transport is used for transportation of harvested crops from crop fields to homes or local markets
Overall, this form of transport is commonly used in areas where other means of transport are hard or difficult to use. The animals commonly used include donkeys, mules, horses, camels, oxen, elephants, water buffaloes, lamas and dogs
Animals that carry goods on their backs are called pack animals and the animals that transport goods by pulling are called draught animals, draft animals or beasts of burden. In regard to animal transport people can use them in three ways. First, people can ride some of the animals directly. Second, people can use some animals as a pack animal for carrying goods. People can train some animals to pull wheeled vehicles individually or in groups. Below is a photo which illustrates a donkey trained to pull a cart carrying a load of items and people (Figure 9.1)
Animal transport has advantages and disadvantages as those of human transport. However, animal transport is more advantageous than human transport in the following ways;
- It is faster than human transport
- It can be used to carry heavier and larger loads over long distances. iii. It can be used in places with adverse (harsh or hostile) conditions which humans cannot withstand. The adverse conditions include in desert and water-logged areas
4. Road transport
A road is an identifiable route, way or path between two or more places. Roads are typically smoothed, paved or otherwise prepared to allow easy travel. Roads are constructed and owned by the local or central government. They play a big role in the economic development of many countries
Road transport is the most common type of land transport and reaches even the most remote areas. Road transport involves the use of various vehicles such as motor cars, buses, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, and carts. It is one of the most important means of transport in the development of commerce and manufacturing industry. This is because roads facilitate the movement of goods and people, thus, boosting trade and commerce. All the movements of goods begin and ultimately end by making use of roads. Roads act as an important feeder and distributor to the other modes of transport such as railway, water and air transports.
Advantages of road transport
Road transport has numerous advantages compared to other modes of transport. The advantages of road transport include;
- Establishment of road transport requires less capital intensive compared to other railways and air modes of transport. The cost of constructing, operating and maintaining roads is cheaper than that of the railways. Roads are generally constructed by the government and local authorities and relatively small revenue is charged for the use of roads
- Road transport involves different types of vehicles and hence gives the people wide freedom to choose the kind of transport to use. For example, people can decide to use a bus, lorry, truck, and motorbikes depending on factors such as urgency, affordability, conveniences, weight and bulkiness of goods to be transported
- Road transport is most suited for carrying goods and people to and from rural areas which are not well served by rail, water or air transport. Road transport makes possible exchange of goods between urban and rural areas
- Road transport is flexible transport service. Its routes and timings can be adjusted and changed to individual requirements with little inconvenience. Road transport provides door to door or warehouse to warehouse service. This in turn reduces cartage, loading and unloading expenses
- Road transport is more economical and quicker for carrying goods and people over short distances. Delays in transit of goods due to intermediate loading and handling are avoided. Goods can be loaded directly into a road vehicle and transported straight to their place of destination
- Road transport involves lesser risk of damage, breakage of the goods in transit because the intermediate loading and handling are avoided. Thus, road transport is most suited for transporting delicate goods like chinaware and glassware, which are likely to be damaged in the process of loading and unloading. vii. Goods transported by motor transport require less packing or no packing in several cases
- Road transport is more suited than the railways or water transport for transporting goods or people immediately or quickly to particular destinations. This is in contrast to transporting goods and people through railway and water transport which need booking and are relatively slow
- Road transport not only requires less initial capital investment, but also the cost of operation and maintenance is comparatively less. The actual cost of motor transport is less because motor transport saves in packing costs and the expenses of intermediate loading, unloading and handling
- Road transport feeds other modes of transport such as railways, ships and airways. Overall, the movement of goods and people are normally transported to and from airports, seaports, or railway stations by road
- Roads can be constructed, developed or maintained while they continue to be used. This is unlike railways, airports or seaports which have to await full construction before they can be used.
Disadvantages of road transport
In spite of various advantages, road transport has disadvantages as well. They include the following.
- Motor transport is not as reliable as the railway transport. During rainy season, earthy roads become unfit and unsafe for use. Heavy rains may also cause flooding and cut off some sections of the roads making them impassable.
- There are more chances of accidents and breakdowns in road transport. Thus, road transport is not as safe as rail, air or water transport. This is because of reckless driving, defective vehicles, over speeding, overloading and poor conditions of some roads. The accidents cause loss of life and damage to goods
- Road transport is unsuitable and costly for transporting heavy and bulky goods over long distances. Vehicles can only carry a limited number of people and amounts of goods compared to ships or trains which carry heavy loads
- The speed of road transport is comparatively slow and limited compared to air transport.
- Goods transported by road transport face the risk of being stolen by robbers while in transit. Most of such incidences occur in remote and bushy areas
- Motor vehicles emit gases which contribute to air pollution. Also, some vehicles produce much noise and fumes which pollute the air
- Road transport often experience traffic congestion (traffic jam), especially during peak hours. People travelling by road may waste much time and fuel in jams as the vehicles take a long time to reach desired destinations. viii. The road transport is comparatively less organized. More often, it is irregular and unreliable. The rates charged for transportation are also variable and unequal
5. Railway transport
This is a means of transport that involves the movement of people, goods and services from one place to another via rails and trains. Railway transport is capable of carrying many passengers and cargo per single trip as compared to road or air transport. Railways in East Africa were constructed by the colonialists mainly for carrying raw materials from the mainland to the coast for shipping overseas. Most railway lines run from the interior to seaports in the coasts. These railway lines have remained intact hitherto, only that most of them have been renovated and maintained to meet and suit the current transportation needs
The central line, formerly known as Tanganyika Railway, is the most important railway line in Tanzania. It runs west from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma on Lake Tanganyika via Dodoma. A branch leads to Mwanza on Lake Victoria. The TAZARA Railway, also known as the Uhuru Railway or Tanzam Railway, links the port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania with the town of Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia‟s Central Province. Tanzam is a single-track railway is 1860 km long and was built from 1970 to 1975 as a turnkey project financed by China (Figure 9.3)
Advantages of railway transport
- Railway transport is the most dependable mode of transport as it is least affected by weather conditions such as rain, fog, compared to other modes of transport
- Railway transport is better organised than any other form of transport. It has fixed routes and schedules. Its service is more certain, uniform and regular as compared to other modes of transport
- The speed over long distances of railway transport is higher than any other mode of transport, except airways. Thus, it is the best choice for long-distance traffic
- Railway transport is economical, quicker and best suited for carrying heavy and bulky goods over long distances
- Railway transport is a cheaper mode of transport compared to other modes of transport. More loads and a great number of people can be transported in a single trip over long distances at relatively low costs
- The railway is the safest form of transport. The chances of accidents and breakdowns of railways are small as compared to other modes of transport. Fewer accidents are reported in railway transport
- The carrying capacity of the railways is extremely large. Moreover, its capacity is flexible because it can be increased easily by adding more wagons
- Railway transport is not affected by the problem of congestion as is the case with road transport
- Trains have more facilities as such as cafes, bathrooms and sleeping space which in turn make travelling long-distance more comfortable
- There is good cargo handling facilities such as cranes and forklifts used at cargo handling stations. The handling facilities save time and minimise costs
- Modern passenger trains called bullet trains are very fast and efficient. Travelling over 200 km/h, they cover long distances in a very short time. Such trains are common in Japan and China
Disadvantages of railway transport
Although railway transport has many advantages, it has certain serious limitations. The following are some of the disadvantages of railway transport;
- The railway requires a large investment of capital, and it takes a long time to construct. The cost of construction, maintenance and overhead expenses are very high as compared to other modes of transport. A lot of money is required to lay down the rail and all other facilities like warehouses, stations, safety, etc
- Railway transport is inflexible. Its routes and timings cannot be adjusted to individual requirements. People travelling or transporting goods by railway have to adhere to time and schedule. Further the inflexibility of railway transport is that it cannot provide door to door service as it is tied to a particular track
- It involves much time and labour in the booking and delivery of goods through railways as compared to road transport
- Railway transport (except in the case of bullet trains) is normally slow. Therefore, it is not suitable for transportation of perishable goods like milk, vegetables and meat. It is also not reliable for transportation of goods which are urgently needed like newspapers, medicines, etc
- Railway transport is not economical for transporting people or few light goods over short distances
- It is always different to establish connecting routes between countries because the differences in sizes and gauges of the railway lines, tracks and wagons, respectively
- Railway transport cannot benefit the rural people as there are very few or no railway stations to serve these areas
6. Pipeline transport
Pipeline transport is the transportation of goods through pipes. Any chemically stable liquid and gases can be transported through pipelines. Short-distance systems exist for sewage, slurry, water, milk and beer, while long-distance networks are used for petroleum and natural gas. Pipelines are the most convenient, efficient and economical mode of transporting liquids like petroleum, petroleum products, natural gas, water, milk. Even solids can also be transported through pipelines after converting them into slurry. Furthermore, pneumatic tubes can also transport solid capsules using compressed air. Figure 9.4
Examples of pipelines include the Tanzania Zambia Mafuta (TAZAMA) pipeline which runs from the port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to Ndola in Zambia which covers 1710 km, the Songosongo gas pipeline from Songosongo to Dar es Salaam are examples of pipelines in Tanzania
In Kenya, there is also a pipeline managed by the Kenya Pipeline Company extends from Mombasa to Nairobi which covers a distance of 450 km. It transports refined petroleum products from Mombasa to Nairobi
Advantages of pipeline transport
Pipelines have the following advantages over other means of transport;
- Pipeline transport is not associated with environmental pollution. However, environmental pollution can only occur if there is a leakage that is not detected and repaired in time
- Pipelines transport is flexible because it can be laid through difficult terrains as well as under water
- This kind of transport is not affected by congestion as is the case with road transport. So, it is the safest and fastest means of transporting fluids
- It needs very little maintenance. Although the initial investment in pipeline construction is higher, the operation and maintenance costs are low
- Pipeline transport is not affected by adverse weather events such as floods, heavy rains, and fog.
- It complements other forms of transport. For example, oil is alternatively transported in tankers via roads or water
- Accidents and theft are greatly reduced compared to other modes of transport such as roads.
Disadvantages of pipeline transport
The following are the main disadvantages of pipeline transport;
- It is not flexible when it comes to delivering products such as natural gas and oil to ultimate consumers. The product has to be delivered through other means like roads
- It is only economically viable if there is a constant supply of the fluids. It is not suited for rare or occasional availability of certain goods
- Leakages can occur and pollute the environment, thus, lead to loss of biodiversity. If not well maintained and repaired timely
- Pipelines are mainly not suitable for transporting other goods other than fluids
- Underground pipelines cannot be easily repaired, and detection of leakage is also difficult
- Pipelines are expensive, take a long time and are labour intensive labour to build
- They have fixed carrying capacities which cannot be exceeded. Pipelines have specific diameters and hence carry fixed amounts of the fluid
- Pipelines conveying flammable or explosive material, like natural gas or oil, pose special safety concerns and there have been various accidents
- Pipelines can be the target of vandalism, sabotage, or even terrorist attacks. In time of wars within or between countries, pipelines are often the target of military attacks
7. Air Transport
Air transport is the movement of people, goods or services from one place to another through the air. It is the fastest mode of transport and involves the use of aircrafts like aeroplanes, helicopters and hot air balloons. Aviation is able to quickly transport people and limited amounts of cargo over longer distances but incur high costs and energy use. For short distances or in inaccessible places, helicopters can be used. Figure 9.5
There are two broad categories of air transport, namely, domestic and international. Domestic air transport involves movement of people and goods within the country while international transport involves movement of people and goods from one country to another. Air transport is not well developed in most developing countries because of the high costs involved to establishment which building of airports and buying the aircrafts, operate and maintain the air service industry. Though air transport is fast, the cost of its operation is very high and thus it is suitable for only rich passengers, mails and light and costly cargo. However, in advanced countries like U.S.A., Germany, etc. it offers a tough competition to the railways
Advantages of air transport
- Air transport provides the highest speed in moving goods, services and people from one place to another within and between countries. It is the fastest mode of transport and the most suitable mean where time is an important factor. It is suitable for carrying perishable goods which require quick delivery. It is also suitable and safe for transporting light goods of high value such as diamonds, gold over long distances
- Air transport provides a regular, comfortable, efficient and quick service. Travelling by air is comfortable especially over long distances
- Air transport is not affected by physical barriers such as mountains, forests, lakes and rivers Aircrafts fly at higher altitude than any relief features on the earth
- Air transport is flexible since the routes and planes can be swapped when the need arises
- Air transport involves booking and scheduled such there is minimal delays and wasting of time. This enables travellers to plan their journey in advance, a fact which makes this mode of transport reliable
- Air transport can be used to carry essential goods and people to the areas which are not accessible by other means of transport. It can operate even where all other means of transport cannot take place due natural calamities such as floods. Thus, it is the only mode of transport which can be relied upon to do the relief work and provide the essential goods and services for survival or life serving purposes
- Air transport plays a very important role in the defence of a country. Modern wars have been fought mainly by aeroplanes. It has an upper hand in destroying the enemy in a very short period of time
Disadvantages of air transport
- Air transport is the costliest means of transport. The fares for air transport are so high that they cannot be afforded by the common people
- Air transport is easily influenced by changes in weather conditions. Bad weather conditions such as storms, fog, mist, snow, heavy rain or any signs of unfavourable weather conditions when detected, the take-off of planes is delayed, routes changed, or flights cancelled
- In case of accidents, there is very little chance of survival. Therefore, it has contributed to the loss of lives of many people in the world. iv. Air transport is unsuitable for carrying cheap, bulky and heavy goods because of its limited carrying capacity and high transport costs
- Air transport requires a large amount of capital investment in the construction and maintenance of aero planes
- Air transport requires specialized skills and a high degree of training for its operation. Training of the personnel in the aviation sector is an expensive to afford especially for poor countries
- Air transport is relatively inflexible as it only serves places that have airports and airstrips. An exception is the use of a helicopter which can land in various areas
- Air transport involves insecurity problems because of cases of hijacking and terrorist attacks sometimes occur
8. Water transport
Water transport is the movement of goods and people by means of watercraft over a body of water such as a sea, ocean, lake, canal or river. The watercraft includes barge, boat, ship or sailboat.
Water transport is the cheapest and oldest mode of transport. It operates on a natural track and hence does not require huge capital investment in the construction and maintenance of the track except in case of canals. The cost of operation of water transport is also very low. It has the largest carrying capacity and is most suitable for carrying bulky goods over long distances. Water transport has contributed significantly to bringing different parts of the world closer and is essential to foreign trade. Water transport consists of two categories, namely, inland water transport and ocean and sea transport
Inland water transport
Inland water transport involves the transport of people and goods by rivers, canals and lakes. Most inland water transport takes place in lakes, navigable rivers and canals. Lakes that are major waterways in East Africa include Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika and Lake Albert. Navigable rivers are those that are deep, wide and slow enough for water vessels like ships and boats to sail on. There are very few navigable rivers in East Africa and Africa as a whole. Most of the rivers are not navigable throughout the year and only a small portion of their courses are suitable for navigation. Examples of navigable rivers in Africa include River Nile, Zambezi, Congo, Niger and Ogooue in Gabon. Other navigable rivers in the world include River Rhine in Europe, Rivers Indus and Ganges in Asia, and Rivers Yukon, Albany and Mississippi in North America
Canals are channels that are made through the land to allow water vessels like ships or boats to travel along. Examples of canals include the Suez Canal which connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea. The other one is the Panama Canal which connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Sea. Canals in Europe include Ludwig Canal which joins River Danube to River Main, and the Dortmund Ems Canal which joins River Rhine to the North Sea. Canals in North America have been built along the Great Lakes and include well and Canal which connects Lake Erie to Lake Ontario (Figure 9.6)
9. Sea and ocean transport
Sea/Ocean transport involves the transport of people and goods by the seas and oceans. Sea transport enables countries and continents to connect with seaports in all parts of the world. Passenger and cargo liners are used in ocean or sea transport. The use of passenger liners is diminishing because of the impact of air transport. However, sea transport has been improved by refrigeration and containerization. Refrigeration enables transportation of perishable goods whereas containerization ensures safety and security, ease of handling and economic use of space in the transportation of goods
Ocean transport is crucial for foreign trade. It has brought the different parts of the world closer and has connected together all the nations of the world into one big world market. Ocean transport falls into two types, namely, coastal shipping and overseas shipping;
- Coastal shipping, Coastal shipping is one of the most important means of transport for carrying goods from one part to another in a country. It is a cheaper and quicker mode of transport and is most suitable for carrying heavy, bulky and cheap cargo like coal, iron ore to distant places
- Overseas shipping, Overseas shipping involves the movement of goods and people between countries or continents. Three types of vessels used in the overseas shipping, namely, liners, tramps and tanker
- Liners, Linersareshipswhichhaveregularfixedroutes,timeandcharges.Theyareusuallyacollectionofvesselsownedbyonepersonorcompany(fleet).Theyprovideauniformandregularservice.Linerssailonscheduleddatesandtime,whetherfullofcargoornot.AnexampleoflinersinTanzaniaisAzamMarine Transport, which is a collection of water vessels owned by one person and operating betweenDares Salaam, Zanzibar and Tanga (Figure9.7)
- Tramps, Tramps are ships which have no fixed routes. They have no set rules, charge rates or schedule. Usually, they do not sail until they have full cargo. They can be chartered by exporters and are ready to sail anywhere and at any time. They do not move in fast speed as liners. Tramps are more suitable for carrying seasonal and bulky goods
- Tankers, Tankers are the vessels which are specially designed to carry oil, petrol and other liquids of similar kind. They have a large capacity ranging from 200,000 to 300,000 tonnes of oil. Very rarely there are super tankers with a carrying capacity of about 1,000,000 tonnes of oil
Advantages of water transport
- Water transport is the cheapest mode of transport for carrying goods from one place to another. This is because water is a natural route which does not require any cost of construction and maintenance. Even the cost of construction and maintenance of canals is much less. Moreover, the cost of operation of inland water transport is very low
- Water transport is the most suitable means of transporting larger quantities of heavy and bulky goods such as coal, machinery, hardware and timber over long distances.
- Water transport involves minimal congestion compared to road transport. Congestion water transport can only occur at ports during loading and unloading of cargo
- Water transport involves minimal risks of accidents and breakdowns compared to other form of transport
- Water transport involves specialisation of cargo which in turn ensures security and timely transportation of particular goods or items. Some cargo ships are specialized for transportation of the same type of cargo, e.g. petroleum, chemicals, foodstuffs, or animals
- Water navigation facilities such as ports, tugs and lighthouses do not need frequent repairs and maintenance as compared to transportation infrastructures of other modes of transport
- It is suitable for transportation of fragile or breakable goods, such as glass, since there is very limited shaking and jolting on the waterways
Disadvantages of water transport
- Water transport takes a long time to travel or move goods from one place to another and at times it involve delays. It takes long time and delays are encountered because water transport is very slow. Hence is unsuitable for transportation when there is urgency and time is an important factor
- Rivers and canals cannot be operated for transportation throughout the year because water may freeze during winter or water level may decrease during the dry season. Additionally, during heavy rains, the rivers may flood or flow too fast making them unsuitable for navigation
- Modern shipping vessels are very expensive. Port construction, as well as the purchase of loading and unloading machinery, is also expensive. As such, a lot of capital is required to effectively operate water transport systems. iv. Water transport system cannot be constructed anywhere. It can only be established only in areas which are served by water bodies
- The inland water transport by rivers is unreliable and sometimes the river changes its course which causes a diversion in the normal course of the river
- Adverse weather conditions such as strong winds and storms greatly interfere with the shipping schedule
- Some water bodies are infested with dangerous animals such as crocodiles, hippopotamuses and snakes, which can endanger the lives of people sailing through the water. Dangerous animals in waterbodies endanger the lives of people and avoid navigation
- It is susceptible mode of transport to water pirates and terrorists related ventures.
Factors to be Considered when choosing the most suitable mode of transport
Cost
The cost of transportation adds to the cost of the goods. Railway transport is comparatively a cheaper mode of transport for carrying heavy and bulky goods over long distances. Road transport is best suited and economical to carry small goods over short distances. Road transport saves packing and handling costs.
Water transport is the cheapest mode of transport. It is suitable to carry heavy and bulky goods over long distances where time is not an important factor. Air transport is the costliest means of transport but is particularly suited for carrying perishable, light and valuable goods which require quick delivery
Urgency and speed of the transport means
The urgency of the goods or items to be transported will influence the choice of modes of transport available to use depending on their speed. Air transport is the quickest mode of transport but it is the costliest of all. Road transport is quicker than railway over short distances. However, the speed of the train over long distances is more than that of other means of transport except for air transport and is most suitable for long distances. Water transport is very slow and thus unsuitable for transportation of perishable goods
Flexibility
Railway, water and air transports are not flexible modes of transport. They operate on fixed routes and at pre-planned time schedules. Road transport provides the most flexible means of transport because it is not tied to fixed routes or time schedules. It can operate at any time and can reach the business premises for loading and unloading
Regularity of service
Railway transport is more certain, uniform and regular as compared to any other mode of transport. It is not much affected by weather conditions. On the other hand, road transport, ocean transport and air transport are affected by bad weather such as heavy rains, snow, fog and storms
Safety and security
Safety and security of goods in transit also influence the choice of a means of transport. Road transport may be preferred to railway transport because losses are generally less in motor transport. Water transport exposes the goods to the risks of the sea. Based on safety point of view, sea transport is thought of as a last resort
Nature of commodity
Rail transport is most suitable for carrying cheap, bulky and heavy goods. Other things being constant, perishable goods which require quick delivery to destination need to be carried through road transport or air transport
Other considerations
A number of special services such as warehousing, packing, loading and unloading are also taken into consideration when choosing the mode of transport to use. Hence, each mode of transport is suited for a particular type of goods and for certain reasons
Railway transport is particularly suited for carrying heavy and bulky goods over long distances. Road transport is suitable for carrying small consignments over short distances. Air transport is suited to light and precious articles which are to be delivered quickly. Water transport is appropriate for carrying heavy and bulky goods over long distances at the cheapest possible cost
Patterns of Major Transport Systems in East Africa
Transport patterns in East Africa consist of road, railway, airway and waterway systems. The roads connect urban centres with rural areas through feeder roads. The roads mainly connect urban centres with agricultural production in rural areas. The roads are used to transport agricultural produce and raw material to urban centres for sale or converting them into other finished products in the processing or manufacturing industries
The East African countries are not extensively connected with railway lines mainly because of the difference in railway gauges. Each country uses different gauges of the rail, a problem which hinders railway connectivity. The connection is only limited to some lengths of the line such as Kenya– Uganda railway, which links Kenya with Uganda to the ports at the coast of Kenya. A short section of the line also runs from Tanga in Tanzania to Mombasa in Kenya
Roads and railways connect the airports, airstrips, seaports and inland ports. This is because roads and railways complement water and air transport. The transport network in East Africa is not well developed due to an economic and physical factors. However, strategies are underway, through the East African Community (EAC) to connect all member states with railways and other forms of transport infrastructures
Sea and inland water transport is another form of transport in East Africa. Lake Victoria is shared by three East African Countries. Movement of goods and people between the three countries takes place on the lake by ships, boats, and other water vessels
Importance of Transport
The Importance of Transport in Tanzania and East Africa
Explain the importance of transport in Tanzania and East Africa
Transport industry in East Africa is important in many ways;
- Source of employment:The transport employs many people in different fields. People are employed in the construction of infrastructures such as roads, railways, airports, ports, railway stations, and many other transport facilities. Yet a good number of East Africans are employed directly as drivers, conductors, pilots, cabin crew, captains of ships, mechanics, traffic controllers etc. These people are directly engaged in the transportation business.By supporting other sectors, such as trade and commerce, it also offers employment to many other people. These people include those working in automobile manufacturing industries, petroleum production and sale, and manufacture of various products used in the transport sector.
- Promotes trade and commerce:The transport sector aids the movement of goods and services. As such it promotes trade and commerce by facilitating the movement of these tools of trade from production areas to consumers.
- Promotes unity and understanding:Transport enables people from different places or country to travel and interact. This improves understanding and unity between people of different ethnic groups within the country or people of different races and cultures from different countries. This helps to create a better understanding and it eliminates any enmity between or among different people. This has led to good relationship between and among different countries in the world.
- Facilitates exploitation of natural resources:A sound transport network linking areas with natural resources such as minerals, forests and water facilitates exploitation of these resources because they can be easily transported from their deposits or sources to consumers or to industries for processing.
- Encourages the development of industries:Transportation encourages the development of other industries. For example, enhanced transport of agricultural produce from rural areas leads to growth of the primary industries such as food processing and lumbering industries. Similarly, access to mineral deposits by roads, railways etc encourages the development of mineral processing industries as these industries are assured of the availability of raw materials because of a well developed transport system linking the deposits with industries. Also transport industry encourages the development of petroleum production and refinery so as to produce enough oil required for running vehicles, road construction machinery, and other machines.
- Encourages development of settlements:Normally, people like to set up settlements in places which are accessed by various means of transport. Good transport system enables people to move from one place to another or transport their goods with ease. Therefore, availability of transport services encourages people to settle in certain areas.
- Source of government revenue:The government collects revenue from motor vehicle insurances, taxes on imported automobiles and fuels, driving licences, parking fees, and tax on use and access of some transportation infrastructures such car packing fees, etc.
Problems Facing Transport Industry
Problems Facing Transportation in East Africa
Identify problems facing transportation in East Africa
The following are some of the problems facing the transport industry in East Africa:
- Lack of capital:The development of the regional transport network has mainly been hampered by insufficient financial resources. A great deal of capital is required to lay down good transportation infrastructures. Likewise, vehicles are very expensive to purchase and operate.
- Lack of skilled labour:The countries have not invested adequately in development of skills among labour. There is a lack of skilled labour to engage in the transport sector which includes construction of infrastructures, repair and operation of machinery etc. The training of labour in the industry, especially in air, railway and water transport is very expensive.
- High fuel costs:The price of oil in the world market is persistently escalating. This makes operation of the transport sector even more costly. Increase in the price of fuel leads to rise in costs of transport and it also affects other sectors of the economy. This makes transport and other sectors expensive and thus unaffordable to most East Africans.
- Political problems:Political instability affects the transport industry severely. During chaos most of the economic activities cannot be carried out and the transport infrastructures and other public goods may be destroyed by enemies. There has been political instability in countries like Burundi, Rwanda and Somalia. This has not affected transport in the respective countries alone, but also the rest of the countries in the region. Uganda and, to some extent, Kenya have also been in political turmoil in the past. During war, the countries cannot invest adequately in transport sector as much capital is spent on the purchase of weapons and other security gears.
- Landlockedness:Many countries in the region are landlocked, so they use other countries’ sea ports to export and import goods and services. In case of any misunderstanding between these countries, transport is curtailed severely. Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi are landlocked countries. They rely on ports of other countries such as Mombasa and Dar es Salaam to export and import their goods to and from overseas.When misunderstandings occur between countries, transport is curtailed severely landlocked countries as they rely on ports of other countries
- Rough terrain, The mountainous and rugged terrain of East Africa makes the construction of roads, railways, airports and pipelines very difficult and expensive
- Differences in railway gauges, The railway lines in East African countries are of different gauges. Also, the width of the tracks used in different countries differs. This makes it impossible for countries to building connecting routes of railways between and across countries
- Corruption and embezzlement, Bribery and other forms of corruption among government officials and politicians in East African countries, the transport infrastructures are often constructed below the required standards. This results to construction of transport infrastructures of poor quality that wear out quickly within few years of operation
- Impassable waterways:Very few lakes and rivers in East Africa are navigable. Most rivers are interrupted by cataracts, waterfalls and rough beds, so they are not ideal for navigation. Only small sections of rivers are navigable all the year round.Some waterways contain floating vegetating such as water hyacinths which clogs the water ways making them impassable.(Figure 9.8)
A large part of East Africa is covered with dense vegetation. This hinders transport in two ways: - First, the construction of roads, railways and airports in such places is very expensive. This is due to the extra costs incurred in clearing the vegetation. Also, areas covered with forests are associated with heavy rainfall, making them unsuitable for infrastructure construction. Secondly, the thugs and robbers prefer to hide in thick forests in order to waylay, attack and rob passengers of money and other properties. Travel through places like that may be so dangerous and is often avoided especially during the night.
The Measures to Address Transportation Problems in Tanzani
Explain the measures to address transportation problems in Tanzania
Measures taken to address the problems of transport industry in Tanzania include the following:
- Government officials involved in corruption scandals pertaining to embezzlement of funds allocated for construction of transport infrastructures should be heavily punished. They should be jailed and their properties confiscated by the government for the public interest.
- The country should put more efforts to collect revenue and seek assistance from donors to assist in infrastructure construction. Also the revenue collected must be spent wisely.
- Training of manpower in various fields of transportation sector like pilots, cabin crew, mechanics, civil engineers etc will help to produce skilled labour needed in the transport industry. This can be achieved by introducing transport-related courses in schools, colleges and universities.
- Formulation of policies and laws that promote the development of the transport industry. This will attract both local and foreign investors to invest in the transport industry.
- Fluctuation in oil prices affects the transport industry significantly. When the oil prices go up the transport costs also rises. This problem can be solved by keeping sufficient oil reserves so that when the prices shoot up the industry is not affected.
- The transport industry should keep pace with advancements in technology of the transport sector in order to increase efficiency and reduce accidents. The government should formulate policies that ensure maintenance of the level-playing field for all investors. It may also consider tax relaxation for local investors.
- The East African countries should build railway lines with the same gauges and trucks so as to ensure connectivity with all countries in the region.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter we learnt about transport as the physical movement of people, goods and services from one place to another. Transport link between different parts of the world. Broadly, the categories of transport include land transport, water transport, and air transport
The types of land transport include human transport, animal transport, road transport, railway transport, and pipeline transport. Comparatively, human transport is of great advantage because it is readily available, cheap, safe, and flexible. Human transport complements other forms of transport and does not pollute the environment. However, human transport is also disadvantaged in some ways For example it is extremely slow, laborious and, depends mainly on the physical fitness of the people involved. Ocean transport includes coastal shipping and overseas shipping. The three types of vessels used in overseas shipping are liners, tramps, and tankers.
The factors to consider when choosing the most suitable mode of transport include the cost, speed or urgency, flexibility, regularity of service, safety, and nature of the items to be transported
The transport industry is important in East Africa in many ways. The transport industry is a source of employment, promotes trade and commerce, promotes unity and understanding, facilitates the exploitation of natural resources, encourages the development of manufacturing industries, encourages the development of settlements, and it is a source of government revenue
The problems facing the transport industry in East Africa include lack of capital, lack of skilled labour, high fuel costs, periodic political instability, Landlockedness for some countries, impassable waterways, thick vegetation, rough terrain, differences in railway gauges and tracks, corruption and embezzlement of public funds by some government official and politicians
Revision Questions
Question Time 9
A.1. Transport refers to .
- movement of vehicles from one place to another
- movement of goods and customers from areas of production to the market
- movement of people, goods, animals or services from one location to another
- movement of goods from the industries to consumers
2. Which of the following is not a form of land transport?
- Pipeline transport
- Railway transport
- Human transport
- Shipping
3. Human transport is .
- faster than railway transport
- not practiced in developed countries such as the usa
- extremely slow and laborious
- is not important nowadays
4. ______is a feeder to other forms of transport
- Railway transport
- Road transport
- Water transport
- Pipeline transport
5. The following lists of towns are linked with a railway line. Which one is not?
- Musoma, Mwanza, Tabora
- Kigoma, Mwanza, Dodoma
- KapiriMposhi, Mbeya, Dar es Salaam
- Mpanda, Dodoma, Dar es Salaam
6. Which of the following categories of land transport is the slowest of all?
- Animal transport
- Road transport
- Railway transport
- Pipeline transport
7. Animals used for transport include .
- Donkeys, mules and horses
- camels, kiwis and elephants
- water buffaloes, chicken and dogs
- dogs, lamas and mongoose
8. Which of the following is not a draft animal?
- Donkey
- Horse
- Cow
- Camel
9. In Tanzania the central line run form
- Mwanza to Dar es Salaam
- Mpanda to Dar es Salaam
- Tabora to Dodoma
- Dar es Salaam to Kigoma
10. The pipeline mostly transports
- petroleum
- natural gas
- fluids
- solid substances
11. In Tanzania the central line runs form
- mwanza to dar es salaam
- mpanda to mwanza
- tabora to dodoma
- dar es salaam to kigoma
12. The pipeline mostly transports .
- petroleum
- natural gas
- fluids
- solid substances
13. Which of the following is not a form of human transport?
- Walking
- Swimming
- Cycling
- Skating
14. Which of these statements is not true?
- travel by air is faster but very expensive
- animal transport is quicker than human transport
- because of recent advancement in transport technology, there is no need for human transport
- railway transport is not readily available at any time
15. Air transport is unsuitable for carrying, cheap, bulky and heavy goods because
- limited carrying capacity though it is cheap to transport such goods by air
- high transport costs
- the perishable nature of such goods
- the requirements of an international travel agency
16. Which of the following forms of overseas shipping have no fixed routes?
- Liners
- Tankers
- Tramps
- Trucks
17. One of the measures taken to address the problems of transport industry in Tanzania is
- Preventing private people from investing in the transport industry
- Formulation of policies that favour the transport industry
- Connecting all regions with the railway lines
- Removing all the current railway lines and replacing them with the new ones
B. Short answer questions
- List the advantages of pipeline transport
- Why are East African Countries not linked with railway lines?
- Mention any two disadvantages of road transport.
- Outline the advantages of water transport
- Why is transportation important among East African countries?
- Explain how the presence of thick vegetation affects transport in East Africa.Explain the advantages of developing transport and communication
- List down five factors which make navigation difficult in most African rivers
- Explain the main problems facing transport and communication in East Africa
- Outline the measures that can be taken to solve the problems facing the transport industry in Tanzania
REFERENCES
- Focus, F.D and Said, S.N (2014). Fundamentals of Geography Form Two. Longhorn Publishers. Dar es Salaam
- Msabila, D.T. (2003). A Focal Study on Human and Economic Aspects. Afroplus Industries. Dar es Salaam
- Mzezele,S.andKibuuka,P.(2014).GeographyInFocusFormTwo.OxfordUniversityPress Ltd.DaresSalaam
- TanzaniaInstituteofEducation(2002).GeographyCourseBookforSecondarySchoolsBookTwo.EcoprintLtd.DaresSalaam
Listening to this topic
