MSS Yen Railway of China provides the population of the country with the opportunity to travel to different locations with high-speed rail and transport various goods. The organization is willing to extend abroad and is currently targeted at Jamaica. In order to prove that such a step will be beneficial, railway feasibility and the safety record of the existing company should be considered. Then, the economic viability of the service can be discussed.
Analysis
MSS Yen Railway of China allows the citizens to get to the place they need extremely quickly and with no delays, which is highly valued by the clients. However, when discussing the technical side of the industry, it is critical to mention that the national railway operator found out that a lot of manufacturers produce train components of poor quality. According to the research, about 70% of all parts did not pass safety tests while 30% were of the sample were in compliance with the standards (Cheung, 2015).
Mainly, the part used for stopping the train turned out to be insufficient. Taking into consideration the fact that Chinese trains are known for their speed, such a tendency may be extremely dangerous. The braking distance of the locomotive is critical, as many people may be injured in case of an accident in the busiest railway (Barney, Haley, & Nicandros, 2001). Thus, if the MSS Yen Railway of China is willing to reach Jamaica and gain benefits, it should reconsider the way train parts are tested and maybe cooperate with new suppliers.
Of course, a well-expanded railway network requires much investment (Barrow, 2016). In China, all expenditures are covered very quickly due to everyday operations. Still, in Jamaica rail transport is constantly facing challenges. Today some raw materials are carried across the country due to the involvement and assistance of other countries, such as Canada, India. However, passenger services are not provided for four years already (The history of railroads/ways in Jamaica, 2011). If the MSS Yen Railway of China develops a strategy, which proves that it is better than its competitors and renews passenger transportation, it will be likely to turn into the leader in the market with the largest amount of shares.
It is critical to underline the fact that MSS Yen Railway focused all its operations on China. Differences between the countries will affect the success of the extension that is why the organization should pay attention to them. Divergence in legal systems may be critical, but they do not impact the project much so MSS Yen Railway can easily adapt to them. The company should reconsider the approach utilized by the Jamaica Railway Corporation but remember that its passenger services were stopped because of losses (Campbell, 2012).
It should be advantageous if MSS Yen Railway refers to some private investors but not the government and design such a network that will be highly valued by the population for them to choose trains instead of other means of transport. If deciding not to refer to passenger service and focus on cargo transportation, MSS Yen Railway should consider the legal system in the framework of signing contracts with clients to make them beneficial for the company.
Currently, the MSS Yen Railway of China is operating decently in the domestic market. It implements programs that allow meeting customer demands and the government’s policies. It takes into consideration energy conservation, which provides an opportunity not only to reduce expenditures but also to attract clients and investors who value the environment (Wan & Liu, n.d.). The company also deals with resisting forces such as competition, low-profit rate, and governmental interference, which proves that it will be able to cope with challenges in Jamaica under the efficient strategy.
Trains in China are regularly scheduled. They always come on time because of the necessity to serve a large market decently (Traveling by train in China, 2016). In this framework, the MSS Yen Railway is likely to satisfy all kinds of clients without implementing changes. It is essential to develop a reasonable project timetable for the extension to show potential consumers the advantages of referring to this organization.
China’s railway system is known for its speed (Smith, 2015). Many clients believe it to be a great advantage while others consider it to be an extreme danger. According to the report provided by Bradsher (2013), “China’s high-speed trains have actually proved to be one of the world’s safest transportation systems so far” (para. 3). There were no deaths for several years even though about 2,000 trips are operated daily. People tend to emphasize the crash that took 40 lives, but it happened once several years ago and did not affect the rates much, as more individuals die in other means of transport (LaFraniere, 2011). Still, the railway architecture in Jamaica is in disrepair, which can increase the number of accidents.
Conclusion
In order to improve the economic viability of the rail service island-wide, the company should refer to private investors. It may change suppliers and address those who provide not very costly materials but those that are of high quality so that their usage prolongs. It would also be beneficial if the company signs long-lasting contracts for cargo transportation and provides middle prized passenger services for the population to be able to afford them and be interested in using trains instead of other means of transport.
References
Barney, D., Haley, D., & Nicandros, G. (2001). Calculating train braking distance. Web.
Barrow, K. (2016). China plans $US 121.6bn rail investment in 2016. Web.
The USA is one of the modern most powerful states the prosperity and rise of which are conditioned by the efficient functioning of various branches of industry. The country holds leading positions in different spheres and devotes great attention to the evolution of its economy. All industries are important for the states rise as they contribute to increased incomes and promote further US growth. However, there are still industrial sectors that should be considered extremely significant and even crucial for the evolution of the US and the automotive industry is one of them. The United States is one of the greatest manufacturers of vehicles, and its cars are appreciated and used in all regions of the world. Traditionally, they are associated with high quality, power, speed, reliability, and other positive qualities. However, the 2008 financial crisis undermined the functioning of this industry and introduced numerous problems it had to overcome. It was provided with governmental support, and a specific crisis intervention was approved. Thus, it is vital to understand whether these measures were successful or not to determine the perspectives of the automotive industry.
Industry Profile
To start with, the United States has one of the largest markets in the world, and it is a place where many global manufacturers have their plants (The automotive industry in the United States, n.d.). Yet, the rise of the industry started in the 1890s, and soon it became the greatest in the world. Currently, it manufactures 8-10 million vehicles per year and is overtaken only by China (The automotive industry in the United States, n.d.). Such companies like Fiat Chrysler, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai, Kia, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Volkswagen have their plants here and consider the American market promising. In 2015 the USA earned $65 billion by selling vehicles and an additional $81 billion by exporting automotive parts (Automotive industry: Employment, earnings, and hours, n.d.). The budget of the state depends on these funds greatly, and this fact preconditions great attention devoted to this industry and provision of the governmental support.
However, the financial crisis of 2008 had a great impact on the US automotive industry. GM and Chrysler, the greatest American manufacturers, exited bankruptcy because of the decrease in the demand for vehicles and the low paying capacity of buyers. This fact was taken as a great threat to the Detroit Three (GM, Ford, Chrysler) which provided giant incomes for the budget. Therefore, the problems of these companies could not but impact the whole automotive industry and condition their decline. These facts also attracted the governments attention as it had to respond and create an efficient solution to this problem. The US economy suffered from the aftermath of the financial crisis and was not able to recover fast. For this reason, a certain set of actions needed to guarantee recovery of the industry and its further rise was accepted and implemented.
Therefore, the Big Three invested in facilities more than $30 billion in domestic investments (Automotive industry: Employment, earnings, and hours, n.d.). Moreover, international manufacturers were also provided with assistance totaling $52 billion, and it was given to provide support to the US-based production facilities (The automotive industry in the United States, n.d.). In its turn, this step also resulted in the appearance of 97000 vacancies for Americans (The automotive industry in the United States, n.d.). Several other practices helped the industry to recover and obtain incomes. Additionally, the open investment policy peculiar to the given sphere contributed to the attraction of new actors who wanted to invest in the sphere and obtain some extra benefits. The government of the USA stated the gradual improvement of the situation in the automotive industry and admitted the possibility of total recovery and becoming prosperous.
Due to the above-mentioned course of action, at the moment the industry passes through the stage of its rapid growth. In 2015 the USA exported about 2.6 million vehicles to more than 200 countries around the world (The automotive industry in the United States, n.d.). Moreover, it reached 17.4 million units in 2015 which is considered the highest peak for it (The automotive industry in the United States, n.d.). Numerous investigations of the sphere admit that there is the perspective for the further rise of the sector and it’s becoming one of the leading industries in the world (Automotive industry: Employment, earnings, and hours, n.d.). The Big Three managed to survive and continue its growth and evolution. GM, Ford, Chrysler still play leading roles in the international markets as vehicles manufactured by these companies are popular with people. Finally, the government still monitors the situation in the sphere as it remains extremely important for the functioning of the state, its budget, and further rise.
Industry Structure
The current US automotive industry structure contributes to its great efficiency and success. At the moment, it is at the forefront of innovations implementing numerous technologies and transforming the industry for it to be able to face the majority of challenges that might appear in the 21st century. It spends about $100 billion per year on the creation of new approaches and usage of technologies (Automotive industry: Employment, earnings, and hours, n.d.). Moreover, the sphere is characterized by the large and diverse consumer market which introduces numerous opportunities for the further rise. Combined with open investment policy and government incentives, the state becomes beneficial for the evolution of the given sector. Moreover, the US automotive industry could also use a highly-skilled workforce that is available for it as numerous educational establishments prepare specialists needed to guarantee the functioning of the given sphere. Finally, a unique infrastructure also preconditions the further sectors rise.
Future Outlook
When speaking about the perspectives awaiting the given industry, numerous specialists give similar forecasts (Automotive industry: Employment, earnings, and hours, n.d.). The combination of all the above-mentioned aspects contributes to the creation of a beneficial environment that promotes the further rise of the sphere and its holding leading positions in the world. Additionally, in case the demand for vehicles manufactured in the USA increases, the leading manufacturers will obtain extra incomes which, in turn, will guarantee the further rise of the industry. Therefore, numerous investors attracted by the significant improvement of the situation also precondition the further rise of the sector. They might devote significant sums to become shareholders and obtain revenues. However, there is also a certain threat that is posed by the lack of stability in the world and oscillations of the buying capacity of the main customers. That is why the further investigation of the situation in the sphere is crucial to create the needed response in case it is needed.
Porter’s Five Forces Strategy Analysis as it applies to the Auto Industry
Resting on the above-mentioned information, one should understand the great impact the automotive sector has on the functioning and further evolution of the state. Being one of the main sources of income provides finances needed for numerous social programs or other initiatives. That is why the comprehensive investigation of even the slightest alterations of the state of this sector is extremely important. Besides, numerous tools should be explored to collect the needed information and process it to obtain results that might describe the current stage of the evolution of the industry and outline perspectives. Porter’s Five Forces model could also be considered one of the efficient tools which might help to improve the comprehending of the processes peculiar to the automotive industry and understand whether some alterations are needed or not.
Bargaining Power of Buyers
The bargaining power of buyers is the first aspect of this model. It could be defined as the pressure customers might exert on the manufacturers of vehicles to make them provide high-quality products that might satisfy the basic peoples needs. Analyzing the industry, it is possible to admit the great bargaining power of buyers. It is preconditioned by several aspects. First of all, it comes from a great dependence on the customers interest. Being the main contributors to the evolution of the sector, their investments guarantee their further rise. That is why every vehicle is designed to satisfy their demands and assure that people will buy it. This pattern preconditions the great bargaining power of buyers and their significant impact on the way industry evolves. Additionally, it also results in the necessity to monitor the peculiarities of the demand and customers tastes.
Bargaining Power of Suppliers
Therefore, the bargaining power of suppliers is another important aspect. It is defined as the presence of powerful suppliers that might dictate their conditions, or alter the terms of cooperation by raising prices or introducing new demands. Analyzing the US automotive industry, it is possible to state that the bargaining power of suppliers is much lower than those of buyers. The fact is that the majority of American car manufacturers adhere to the model that does not presuppose the existence of numerous and powerful suppliers. The most important parts of any vehicle are produced by these companies, and this pattern makes them more independent (Automotive industry: Employment, earnings, and hours, n.d.). Additionally, the low bargaining power of suppliers increases the profit potential of the industry and contributes to the appearance of new actors who want to act in this sphere and obtain incomes.
The threat of New Entrants
Thus, the threat of new entrants, which is another important point of the analysis, remains not very high. The fact is that at the moment the vehicle market in the USA is occupied by several companies which are characterized by a long history. These are reputable brands with their customers and target audience. These companies provide people with high-quality products that are focused on the satisfaction of the buyers basic needs. For these reasons, the probability of the appearance of a new company acting in this sphere is low. The creation of a new car brand is a complex process that demands specific facilities and investments. Moreover, to become efficient, it needs a certain target audience. Thus, the Big Three and other companies will hardly share their customers and ignore the new market entry. Resting on these facts, the threat of new entrants remains insignificant.
Competitive Rivalry in the Industry
However, competitive rivalry in the industry is extremely high. The existence of numerous companies that manufacture vehicles results in the necessity of specific actions that are needed to guarantee a companys survival and its further rise. Besides, numerous aspects are given specific attention by famous brands and different market segments that are occupied by them. For this reason, the high level of rivalry might be considered one of the main distinctive features of the US automotive industry and one of the factors that precondition its further rise. To obtain a competitive advantage, a company has to introduce either a new product or a new approach. In its turn, this practice also guarantees the constant alteration of this sector and its gradual development.
Threat of Substitutes
Finally, the threat of substitutes could be described as high. The fact is that great international corporations like Volkswagen, Volvo, Toyota, and others also try to conquer the American market. For this reason, customers have a wide choice. They might decide to replace their American car with the European one at any moment. In this regard, the US companies working in the given sphere have to do their best to guarantee the unique quality of their cars and contribute to customers satisfaction. The great threat of substitutes also results in the existence of unique patterns used by American vehicle manufacturers (The automotive industry in the United States. (n.d.).
Conclusion
Altogether, the automotive industry of the USA takes second place in the world. It produces about 10 million vehicles per year and earns approximately $65 billion. This sector suffered from the world financial crisis; however, it managed to overcome its negative aftermath. Exploration of the Potters Five Forces model shows that it has good perspectives and could be considered promising. The industry attracts numerous investors and continues its rapid evolution.
Pilot embarkation is the task that allows the pilot to get to the ship safely. Some procedures enable the process to be successful. The paper would discuss the embarkation task through the Hierarchy Task Analysis.
Hierarchical Task Analysis is a study that adheres to tasks, their descriptions, and their sub-goals. It identifies the major work of the organization or a project in a system. The process involves breaking down of those tasks into subtasks and goals into sub-goals. It produces a good description of tasks in a hierarchical structure of goals and sub-goals, operations and plans (Braverman, Berger & Meiran 2014)).
The analysis has various steps that are helpful in identifying the tasks. The first one requires one to identify the purpose and define it. It also requires one to collect information from the field. The process of subdividing sub-goals should continue as it enables one to determine even the smallest duties. One would also need to define all the plans that lead to a particular sub-goal and even the goal. HTA developed in the 1960s as a result of the works of Annett and a few other scientific analyses (Ainsworth 2009).
The Purpose of the Analysis
HTA can be the basis for future studies. One needs to study the HTA to have a clue about the hierarchical structure and different tasks. The process can help to deal with minor tasks and do away with tasks that are not essential. When the study includes a conglomeration of works, it may help to save time and energy. Once an HTA is in place, it helps in system documentation (Wu 2011). The HTA assists in comparing different approaches to supporting a task. It builds teamwork and cohesiveness especially when members understand the tasks and plans at each stage (Hollnagel 2003).
The primary task is the pilot embarkation. The subdivision of the work into the sub-goals involves many aspects. There are codes for embarkation and disembarkation, and sometimes they vary with each country’s laws. But there are also world general standard procedures for maritime processes. Another important aspect is the pilot boat. A pilot ladder has to be available also on the side of the vessel. The embarkation area has to adhere to the standard codes. There are workers involved in the embarkation process that also communicate relevant information to the pilot. The ropes, the winch, and the hoist must also be available. The rules provide for penalties if any of the persons responsible for certain tasks do not fulfill their tasks as stipulated in the rules of work (Wu 2011).
Agreement Between Stakeholders
The stakeholders are the pilot, the shipping authorities and rules, and the ship staffs. The pilot boat must meet the requirements of the Merchant Shipping Regulations and the Maritime Coastal Agencies Code of Practice for the Safety of Small Work Boats and Pilot Boats (Dhillon 2011). The Competent Harbor Authority has to license or approve all pilot boats operating from its harbor. It has to ensure that they are in good condition and suitable for such services.
The coxswain must ensure that the pilot ship has all its safety requirements on board before it leaves its berth for the vessel. An up to date log must be ready at all times. All mooring ropes should remain on shore. The pilot and the crew must have safe passages between them. The pilot and the crew must have knowledge of the stowage of the safety equipment and its operation (Dhillon 2011).
Sources of Task Information and Means of Data Acquisition
The CHA’s routine reports should include the crew of the vessel. The reports must be conclusive and have all the people and tasks required for the journey. When outside the pilot boat’s cabin, everyone must wear a life jacket. The pilot and crew must operate in the right gear. At all times, the personnel must keep checking the regulatory requirements and instructions. It is safe for the pilot not to wear the lifejacket while inboard. The jacket might prevent him or her to get to safety in case of an emergency. When the pilot is on the pilot boat, he or she needs to follow the crew’s instructions (Crandall, Klein & Hoffman 2006). All information being relayed and obtained must be formal through the radio calls and record books. The maritime rules are the main source of embarkation procedures.
Validity of Decomposition with Stakeholders
Ships should maintain their docking and passage routes. If they enter the pilot boarding and landing area, they may hinder the transfer of pilots. They should also wait for instructions for pilot boarding. Sometimes the pilot boat may call upon the ship to move to the area for the transfer of a pilot to occur. The CHA should identify the landing and boarding areas for the pilots. In the professional maritime world, safe pilot embarkation is essential (Bisantz & Burns 2009).
When the boat approaches the ship, sufficient communication between the ship and the pilot boat must be in place. The communication may require the ship officer to lower the pilot ladder on a particular side. They must also relay information about the distance that should be available between the pilot boat and the ship. Their speed is also important so that the process does not hurt the pilot or ruin the pilot boat. Using the light at night helps the people involved in the transfer to maintain safety standards.
As the boat approaches the ship, the pilot and Deckhand should be in the Cabin until the Coxswain gives instructions to them to proceed forward (Berlingieri 2014). The Coxswain is responsible for instructions on whether the transfer should take place or abort the procedure depending on the safety of the pilot. The pilot ladder should be in good condition and if not the pilot can request for re-rigging or replacement of the ladder. He or she can also refuse to embark until a safer means is available (Norros 2004).
Significant Operations
The supervising ship’s officer and other people working on the transfer must be in constant communication with each other. The Coxswain is responsible for how the pilot boat moves around the vessel. However, the pilot has to choose when and if he or she can embark. The pilot needs to have the right attire, approved by the marine authorities, before leaving the cabin. The distance of the pilot boat would depend on the length of the climb. Some pilot boats have hydraulic boarding frame to increase the pilot’s safety. In case there is any problem with the pilot boat leaving the ship’s side, the Coxswain must contact the Master of the vessel for guidance (Costafreda 2011).
Data Acquisition
Figure 1: Example of a written protocol for movement of the pilot during embarkation.
Pilot embarkation has to align with particular rules. If the people involved in the process do work in their jurisdiction, they make the entire task very safe and successful. The HTA enables the researchers to find the primary goal and sub-goals. It also allows for improvements in the system.
References
Ainsworth, L 2009, ‘A task analysis of the task analysis process’, Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, vol. 53, no. 24, pp.1835-1838.
Berlingieri, F 2014, International maritime conventions (Volume 2), Taylor and Francis, Hoboken.
Bisantz, A & Burns, C 2009, Applications of cognitive work analysis, CRC Press, Boca Raton.
Braverman, A, Berger, A & Meiran, N 2014, ‘The hierarchy of task decision and response selection: A task-switching event related potentials study’, Brain and Cognition, vol. 88, pp.35-42.
Costafreda, S 2011, ‘Meta-analysis, mega-analysis, and task analysis in fMRI Research’, Philosophy, Psychiatry, & Psychology, vol. 18, no. 4, pp.275-277.
Crandall, B, Klein, G & Hoffman, R 2006, ‘Working minds’, MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Dhillon, B 2011, Transportation systems reliability and safety, CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida.
Hollnagel, E 2003, Handbook of cognitive task design, Lawrence Erlbaum Publishers, Mahwah, New Jersey.
Norros, L 2004, Acting under uncertainty, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo, Finland.
Wu, Q 2011, ‘Analysis about hierarchy needs model of technology employees, AMR, vol. 281, pp.243-248.
Public transportation appears to be densely related to the ecological issues that federal-owned temperate forests of the U.S. and Canada undergo. The subsidies extended to those areas by the governments are aimed at improving the environmental situation as well as aiding the economic sectors. The following paper is aimed at outlining the major benefits and costs of public transport subsidies in the temperate forest zones of the U.S. and Canada.
Analysis
As per the recent guidebook published by Transport Policy Institute, Victoria, BC, the benefits of government subsidies can be subdivided into the categories of direct and indirect benefits, respectively (Litman, 2015). Among the direct benefits, one could enlist, primarily, travel time saving and improved access to a job; the benefits are experienced by those who either have no other means of traveling or shift from cars to public transit. This category can be deemed the most relevant for Portland, where frequent river overflows occur (American Forests, n.d.). In Canada, mainly in British Columbia, there has been an outburst of economic activity in relation to timber production.
The community-based approach to timber processing and the emergence of new businesses required local transit improvement (Berry, 2006). By subsidizing the transport, the government benefited indirectly from the way the businesses flourished. Indeed, with better access to the establishments on the local level, companies such as Revelstoke got the ability to harvest and process sustainably and – more importantly – without sending the timber outside the community to be processed. Implicitly, the subsidies proved to be beneficial in terms of job creation and business development from the 1990s and further on (Berry, 2006). As a consequence, among the indirect benefits, the major ones are an agglomeration of businesses and job creation in places where public transportation is functioning.
In their turn, the subsidies result in expenditures or costs which can be further subdivided into direct and social (Litman, 2015). The major direct costs that the government has to refurbish are infrastructure construction and maintenance costs. An example of such expenditures can be Washington, D.C., with its goal for tree-lined avenues and canopy coverage. The government has to take into account the improvement of the roadway so as not to affect the spaces taken up by the city-owned trees that are planted in the streets (American Forests, n.d.).
The infrastructure costs include bus shelters and the maintenance of the vehicles, as well. As to the social costs, these encompass mainly the traffic delays during road construction and transfer. Such a situation is relevant for Milwaukee, WI, where the roads are likely to be numbed by the 50 inches of snow, yearly (American Forests, n.d.). The roads, thus, have to be either cleaned up promptly, or the expenditures for traffic delay will run high. Finally, considering the city’s sustainability goals, the subsidies are quite likely to result in noise pollution and emission costs. The latter is inescapable due to the high value of trees in the rough climate that Wisconsin has (American Forests, n.d.).
Conclusion
To summarize, the direct benefits of transport subsidies include travel time reduction and better job access. Indirectly, the government benefits from increased business activity and job creation in areas where transport is cheaper. The direct and social costs include, correspondingly, infrastructure construction, and maintenance in the first respect and the expenditures related to traffic delays in the second.
References
American Forests. (n.d.). Urban Forests Case Studies: Challenges, Potential, and Success in a Dozen Cities.
Berry, A. (2006). Branching Out: Case Studies in Canadian Forest Management. Boseman, MT: PERC.
Litman, T. (2015). Evaluating Public Transit Benefits and Costs: Best Practices Guidebook.
Victoria, BC: Victoria Transport Policy Institute.
In recent decades, container transportation earned a reputation as the safest and most convenient method for the delivery of different kinds of freight. Nowadays, over 90% of global transportation of general cargo is carried out in containers (Rodrigue, Comtois, & Slack, 2016). The intense containerization is defined by multiple benefits associated with it, e.g. cost efficiency, time efficiency, and many others.
Because of the current macroeconomic situation in the world, the volumes of container transportation rapidly increase in many countries (Notteboom & Rodrigue, 2009). At the same time, maritime shipping remains the prevalent method of cargo distribution across the globe. For the last ten years, the volumes of general cargoes (oil, carbon, iron ore, bauxite, phosphate, and grain) shipped by sea had a moderate growth rate of 4,5% (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, 2014).
However, the experience of many logistics and transportation organizations demonstrates that containerization functions at the very peak of its efficiency when containers are used for the delivery of cargoes through intermodal communication. Therefore, it is argued that the main direction in the improvement of container transportation in the 21st century is the integration of inland traffic works into the international maritime transport corridors and the creation of effective intermodal shipping technology for foreign trade goods.
To prove the formulated hypothesis, this paper aims to identify the major determining factors of a further increase in global freight and transport containerization and the benefits associated with intermodal cargo distribution services which may stimulate retailers, transport organizations, and ports to use the combination of inland and marine transport more often.
Increasing Cargo Flows Containerization as a Prerequisite for Intermodal Transport System Emergence
According to the recent research findings, logistics operations are interrelated with containerization increase. According to Notteboom and Rodrigue (2009), logistics has a “soft” influence on organizations stimulating them towards the selection of containerized transport (p. 11). Implementation of containers had become an excellent solution for such activities as warehousing, operations management, facility layout, and planning as it enhances their efficiency and effectiveness and allows ports and logistics firms to gain significant financial and competitive benefits.
It is possible to say that integrated implementation of containers is associated with advantages in both maritime and inland kinds of shipping, and the mentioned soft logistics pressures which have driven the process of containerization may stimulate the development of intermodalism as well. For the first time, containers were implemented in the global maritime shipping industry to reduce transportation costs through the cut of expenses for loading and unloading operations (Donovan, 2004). But containerization is also potentially effective in the increase of productivity during the provision of inland transportation service as it has provoked the development of capital-intensive transportation system in which the number of labor costs is minimized.
Nowadays, seagoing vessels play a leading role in the system of cargo delivery, and it is possible to say that the advancement of maritime shipping has influenced the tendencies in the evolution of other transport types and the transport infrastructure as a whole. The prevalence of marine transport is largely conditioned low shipping costs, large vessel capacity, lack of significant limitations on the overall dimension of freight, unified standards of vessels’ construction, etc. (Ducruet & Notteboom, 2012).
The increase in the size of a vessel provokes a positive economic effect associated with a one-off transfer of large loads from one port to another with the unchanging speed of movement. However, big cargo volumes moved at once require more time and monetary investments in loading-unloading works – it can reduce the cost efficiency of shipping mediated through large vessels to a minimum. But containerization of cargo flows provided significant support for organizations in their efforts aimed at the elimination of these financial risks and the achievement of greater cost efficiency.
Containerization and enlargement of cargo space significantly increased the convenience of shipping because containers have standard sizes (Ducruet & Notteboom, 2012). Size standardization implies that the process of shipment, movement, and delivery can be substantially facilitated, and containers thus can be easily transferred using other transport types as well. As a result, the transportation of containerized cargoes by more than one kind of carriage becomes an important phase in the development of the transport industry.
When containerization became the main method of general cargo transportation, it influenced modernization and enhancement of logistics operations at ports and transition points. The advancement of shipping technology impacted not merely transport systems but also allowed cargo owners to shift their focus from actual shipping operations to other managerial activities such as preparation of freight for departure, appropriate implementation of containers; and accomplishment of initial, final, and auxiliary commercial operations, etc. (Ducruet & Notteboom, 2012; Donovan, 2004).
By the transformation of the very idea of containerized cargo movement when its owner does not participate in the organization of the transportation process and only defines the place of shipment and delivery point, the change in the regulation of container delivery has occurred.
The modern level of globalization and market competition motivates logistics managers to achieve minimal expenditures for service and products at the point of consumption. But significant cost efficiency can be attained only through the consideration of multiple factors in which transport expenses play an essential role. The implementation of intermodal transport provides an opportunity to have a holistic view and evaluation of supply chain processes. It is suggested that the integration of different transport modes may lead to the optimization of trade-offs among distinct elements of the supply chain, services, and costs (DeWitt & Clinger, 2000).
Moreover, as it is observed by DeWitt and Clinger (2000) that the further increase in intermodal transportation will be triggered by firms’ growing understanding of rapidly changing customer requirements and intense competition in supply chain systems and global markets. It is suggested that intermodalism may allow transportation service suppliers to become more flexible and efficient in response to changing customer needs.
Potential Benefits of Intermodal Transportation
Intermodalism has several advantages which may predefine its prevalence and increasing importance as a shipping method in the 21st century. The term of intermodal transportation implies an “effective and efficient connectivity for both freight and information among and between the various modes on shipments under a single freight bill” (DeWitt & Clinger, 2000, p. 2).
In this way, intermodal shipping differs from the term of multimodal transportation which does not integrate physical infrastructure, cargo transfer, and information under one freight bill. Single documentation may be regarded as the first advantage of intermodalism as it helps to reduce customers’ concerns regarding process organization and outcome, and eliminate the necessity of searching for several transport service suppliers. Additionally, the variability of shipping modes increases regional freight accessibility (Thill & Lim, 2010).
Thus, it is possible to say that in combination with the high level of cargo safety associated with containerization, intermodal transport service can significantly increase organizational value creation capacity which may strengthen the company’s competitive position.
Intermodalism and containerization are two inseparable phenomena. Shipping companies always use containers for intermodal transportation. Since containers may vary in capacity and functionality, freight forwarders’ customers may use their services to deliver diverse types of goods (Obhodas et al., 2010). For example, reefers can be used for highly perishable products, containers with an open top – for bulk commodities and large goods, tank containers – for liquids, etc.
Moreover, intermodal shipping provided by one service supplier facilitates the integration of a container tracking system that allows retailers to monitor the movement of their goods at every stage of the delivery process. Containers monitoring helps to avoid losing track of cargoes and “provide actionable information to retrieve goods or minimize the damage” (Miler, 2015, p. 40). Such a service makes the work of intermodal freight forwarders more demanded among entrepreneurs because, in this case, they may not be worried about the safety of their products.
Potential Barriers to Growth and Universal Implementation in International Market
If intermodal shipping is carried out in the international context (export-import operations), customs clearance procedures, as well as transport law and legal aspects of commerce across the countries where the route of cargo transportation runs, become of essential importance. Numerous national customs formalities which may lead to unplanned downtime, delivery delays, and additional costs may significantly impede the success of intermodal shipping.
The misunderstanding of the meaning of the customs clearance procedures and instructions is one of the biggest problems which organizations may encounter in the unfamiliar and distant markets (Bask, Juga, & Laine, 2001). The issue of customs clearance may largely increase customs costs and reduce the overall income. While the states which claim for the strategic direction towards the integration into global economy usually understand the relationships between local business conditions (including terms of customs registration) and the attraction of foreign investments in the country, some nations have obsolete and unwelcoming customs regulations which prevent the development of international trade.
Nevertheless, cross-border legal issues and the problems which may arise in the issuance of transportation documents or customs formalities may be resolved through the integration of modern information technologies aimed at the examination and adoption of international standards systems which facilitate transition corridors characterized by a uniform information space (Bask et al., 2001).
Considering the mentioned properties of intermodalism, and the risks associated with it, it is impossible to ignore the fact that the performance of the use of this transportation method requires a high level of managers and operators’ expertise and knowledge of technical, legal, and managerial aspects of intermodal logistics activities. Each type of transport has is associated with a distinct technical base required for its exploitation, maintenance, and repair.
The operational parameters of rolling stock, routes, and terminals are especially important in logistics management, and when selecting a type of vehicle, managers should consider its power and transportation capacity, operational characteristics, and spatial accessibility (Kalašová, Kapusta, & Toman, 2016). Provision of cargo security, compliance with standards of quality, and environmental principles are important transport selection conditions.
As mentioned by DeWitt and Clinger (2000), “to be able to optimize transport options, managers will have to be highly knowledgeable in all of the current and future intermodal options and alternatives” (p. 4). Therefore, a significant amount of efforts should be aimed at the enhancement of staff education and advancement of current information-communications technologies which may enable knowledge development and ensure well-coordinated and integral workflows.
Summary
As the review of the literature revealed, the development of intermodalism and increasing implementation of intermodal shipping methods is stimulated by changing customer demands and the attempts to achieve greater operational and financial efficiency. While customers and cargo owners seek convenience and security, freight forwarders and logistics managers pursue attraction of potential service consumers and better productivity which may lead to the strengthening of the competitive position and more positive financial outcomes.
Although it is impossible to forecast the tendencies of future transportation market development with absolute accuracy, the evaluation of current trends makes it clear that different macroeconomic, operational, and governance factors will likely support the evolution of international intermodal freight transportation.
As it is observed, increasing intermodalism is closely interrelated with the prevalence of containerized cargos in the modern supply chain processes. Containerization has stimulated the changes in the global supply chain requirements, and the shift towards the intermodal transport system may be regarded as the best response towards these changes. Although the increasing complexity of global logistics networks is associated with multiple barriers to the common integration of intermodal transport service which requires additional investments in preparation of skillful personnel, technological advancement, and knowledge management, the modern governmental initiatives aimed at the unification of international trade regulations, as well as the current technological and commercial dynamism interrelated with the intensive containers use, assist transport organizations in decision making, innovation, and achievement of smarter business solutions.
As the recognition of the strategic importance of the intermodal transport system will become stronger at both organizational and governmental levels, the development of intermodal terminal complexes that may ensure high-quality transport maintenance and provision of a wide range of commercial and customer services will be facilitated. Moreover, the collaboration at the national and international levels will allow the creation of appropriate infrastructural conditions for the realization of geographic advantages in different regions and enhancement of their competitive positions in the global trade and transportation markets.
References
Bask, A., Juga, J., & Laine, J. (2001). Problems and prospects for intermodal transport: theoretical tools for practical breakthroughs? Oslo, Norway: The 17th IMP-Conference.
DeWitt, W., & Clinger, J. (2000). Intermodal freight transportation. Transportation In The New Millennium, 1-6.
Donovan, A. (2004). The impact of containerization: From Adam Smith to the 21st century. Review of Business, 25(3), 10-15. Web.
Ducruet, C., & Notteboom, T. (2012). The worldwide maritime network of container shipping: Spatial structure and regional dynamics. Global Networks,12(3), 395-423. Web.
Kalašová, A., Kapusta, J., & Toman, P. (2016). A model of transatlantic intermodal freight transportation between the European continent and the United States. Nase More, 63(1), 5-15. Web.
Miler, R. (2015). Electronic container tracking system as a cost-effective tool in intermodal and maritime transport management. Economic Alternatives, 1, 40-52.
Notteboom, T., & Rodrigue, J. (2009). The future of containerization: Perspectives from maritime and inland freight distribution. GeoJournal, 74(1), 7-22. Web.
Obhodas, J., Sudac, D., Valkovic, V., Baricevic, M., Franulović, A., Perot, B., &… El Kanawati, W. (2010). Analysis of containerized cargo in the ship container terminal. Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research Section A, 619(1-3), 460-466. Web.
Rodrigue, J., Comtois, C., & Slack, B. (2006). The geography of transport systems. London, UK: Routledge.
Thill, J., & Lim, H. (2010). Intermodal containerized shipping in foreign trade and regional accessibility advantages. Journal of Transport Geography, 18(4), 530-547. Web.
Nowadays, government regulation could be viewed as a critical aspect of the sufficient functioning of the state, as it has a positive impact on the overall economy and prosperity of the nation (Witte, 2015). The same idea applies to intermodal transportation, as the authorities can contribute to the resolution of the issues in a positive direction when finding a relevant solution to the problem.
Despite the clarity of this viewpoint, I tend to believe that the government could not be viewed a primary catalyst for innovations and development, as the majority of the changes are driven by the companies from the industry and its responsiveness and flexibility of the business environment while being critically reinforced by the national authorities.
Consequently, I entirely agree with the author and underline that the authorities are the crucial actors in driving innovation and are one of the critical contributors to the improvement of the means of intermodal transportation. To support my position, it is vital to use historical examples of the government’s involvement in the development of nuclear power and the introduction of new technologies for the Department of Defense (DOD) cultivated by the industrial trends while being monitored by the government at the same time. In the end, the conclusions are drawn to summarize the main findings of the paper.
Development of Nuclear Power Plants
In the first place, it is widely known that the government was the primary contributor and initiator of the establishment of the nuclear power factories in the country and worldwide. U.S. nuclear history started in 1942 in Chicago, and these actions were supported by the government by offering various subsidiaries for the establishment of nuclear plants and factories (Miller, 2013). There were several reasons for the development of these types of plants.
In the first place, they were more efficient and productive, as they supplied the vast territories with energy while helping to minimize the costs (Miller, 2013). Based on the factors provided above, it could be said that governmental authorities entirely controlled this segment while limiting the actions of the industry. This maintenance was essential, as the authorities had certain goals to pursue to enhance the financial prosperity of the nation and assure the safety of the American population.
Despite the positive intentions of the government, nuclear power energy has a significant number of drawbacks, which have to be improved to assure the sustainability of this energy generation tool (Pearce, 2012). One of the particular aspects is the insecurity of this matter, as any of its malfunction may result in manmade disasters (Pearce, 2012). Consequently, the optimization of energy generation and enhancement of the safety aspects are the primary matters, which have to be controlled by the government. Based on the analysis of the features conducted above, it could be said that a majority of the aspects were limited by the regulations and actions of the governmental authorities while the industry could have generated a greater number of innovations and novelties.
New Technologies for Department of Defense (DOD)
Another argument to support my opinion is the fact that the introduction of innovations and technologies was driven by the changes in the industry and the need to adapt to the fluctuations of the economic environment. For instance, during World War II, it was necessary to introduce the tanks to be responsive to the actions of the opponents (National defense university press, 2015). At the same time, there was a need to improve surveillance systems and use the capability prototyping approach to be able to overcome the difficulties and be responsive to the activities and technological improvements of the enemies (National defense university press, 2015).
Despite the fact that these actions were majorly industry-driven, one cannot underestimate the role of the governmental intervention, as it offered favorable conditions for the development of these technological aspects. In this case, it could be said that the ability of the American government to intervene in this process assisted the United States of America is reaching its military excellence while assuring its dominance in the world.
Conclusion
Overall, these historical examples provide a clear rationale for my viewpoint since they offer insights about the influence of the industry and governmental actions on the innovative processes. In this case, the historical events emphasized above underline the fact that the government has to be regarded as an initial catalyst for innovation. In this case, the modernizations concerning the development of nuclear power plants, the improvement of the technological aspects at DOD, and the enhancement of possibilities for intermodal means of transportation imply the involvement of a substantial amount of monetary and human resources.
Simultaneously, the government controls the safety of the proposed transactions while paying attention to sustainability. Nevertheless, one cannot underestimate that the government has to limit the actions of the industry while minimizing the options available at a free market economy, and these aspects may have an adverse influence on innovation in the sphere of intermodal transportation. Despite the presence of this drawback, I have a tendency to believe that the role of the government is crucial, but the authorities have to take into account the changes in the industry to ensure the competitiveness of the country at the international arena and maximize the productivity and efficiency of the selected segments.
References
Miller, C. (2013). Atlas of U.S. and Canadian environment history. New York, NY: Routledge.
National Defense university press: The defense innovation initiative. (2015). Web.
Pearce, J. (2012). Limitations of nuclear power as a sustainability energy source. Sustainability, 4(1), 1173-1187.
Witte, H. (2015). Sustainable market economy. Zurich, Germany: Lit Verlag.
In this paper, the primary requirements for obtaining a driver’s license and major steps to passing a driving test will be viewed.
The Requirements
To obtain a driver’s license in the U.S., one has to know exactly what requirements he or she will need to follow as they differ from state to state as well as driving laws. To find out more, one should consult a specialist at the given state’s department of motor vehicles (Berardelli, “Safe Young Drivers” 21). One can only get a license in a state he or she lives in and has to be eligible to apply, which means people with health conditions like epilepsy are not allowed to drive (Drazkowski 11). After receiving a license, one can drive anywhere in the U.S. (Berardelli, “The Driving Challenge: Dare to Be Safer and Happier on the Road” 19).
Of course, “learning to drive can be nerve-wracking for teens and parents” (“Helping Teens Learn to Drive” par. 3). It does not apply to teenagers only, however. No matter how old you are when you are learning to drive, your experience will contain a certain amount of stress as you get used to the vehicle, the road conditions, and try to follow the instructor’s orders.
If you are a parent anxious for your child to succeed, the handbook “Teaching Your Teens to Drive” suggests that “One of the best ways for you to influence your teen’s driving habits is to sit in the copilot seat as your teenager learns to drive” (1). It might not always be possible literally, but giving the needed emotional support is always necessary for a teenager to feel confident behind the wheel.
Experience is the key. If one spends a lot of time honing his or her skills outside the driving lessons in different road and weather conditions, he or she gets a better chance to adapt to all kinds of situations on the road after acquiring the license (“Helping Teens Learn to Drive” par. 6). To practice outside of driving lessons, one can use such facilities as empty parking lots or usual roads if there’s small traffic (Ribeiro 20).
Skills one learns during his or her driving practice can be divided into three groups:
the primary skills (basic car control – gas, break, and acceleration pedals, transmission; the control panel – windshield wipers, lights, etc.);
the secondary skills (noticing the potential road hazards; reacting accordingly to the road signs – slowing down, coming to a full stop, following distance, etc.; parking; dealing with navigation around other cars, pedestrians, animals on the road, etc.);
the advanced skills (navigating on bigger roads – minding your speed limit, changing lanes, slowing down at intersections and traffic lights, making turns, merging into traffic, etc.).
The Driving Test
To finally receive your driver’s license, you will have to take a driving test. It consists of a written part and a practical part. In the written part, you most certainly will be asked to identify the road signs, to name the rules of the traffic code, etc. The practical part allows the examiner to estimate your actual driving skills. By the time you take this test, you have to build your confidence via training on empty parking lots and low-traffic roads. This will make you get through the major parts of the test easily. You will be asked to navigate between tires, to make a couple of turns, to slow down and stop at the examiner’s command, to drive in reverse gear, etc.
Conclusion
In conclusion, one can see that learning to drive a car takes a bit of hard work, practice, and concentration, but is easily achievable once these three factors are fully applied.
Works Cited
Berardelli, Phil. Safe Young Drivers, Yucca Valley, California: D Street Books, 2011. Print.
—. The Driving Challenge: Dare to Be Safer and Happier on the Road, Yucca Valley, California: D Street Books, 2011. Print.
Drazkowski, Joseph. “An Overview Of Epilepsy And Driving.” Epilepsia 48.9 (2007): 10-12. Print.
Helping Teens Learn To Drive, n.d. Web.
Ribeiro, Lawrence. The Unknown Art of Driving, New York, New York: Barnes & Noble, 2013. Print.
Teaching Your Teen to Drive. Warwick, Rhode Island: MetLife Auto & Home, 2006. Print.
Not so long ago the representatives of the general public started to pay enormous attention to government spending, as it is based on their money received with the help of taxes. Seeing that some initiatives fail to provide an expected advantage, the population tends to question their benefit for the country and require some explanations. It also happens that the criticism starts before the implementation of alteration. The same happened to the USA because of the idea to maintain and develop a high-speed rail network (Darson para. 1).
People are already wary of the spending that does not regain itself. As a result, they are willing to receive some evidence that the new system will be beneficial. The fact that the amount of proposed money for the high-speed rail is already almost $80 billion less cannot ensure positive outcomes (Kiely para. 23).
Taking into consideration such information, I believe that the program was not efficiently developed, which prevented the government from meeting desired goals and having expected funds. However, in total, the initiative seems to be rather advantageous for the country. It is hard to say whether the obtained investment is good and whether it will be enough for the USA to get on the new level. Still, the country can consider those benefits that will be reached after the implementation, including speed, mobility, and energy savings.
The new train system will require new professionals, which means that numerous green jobs will be needed through the USA (US HSR para. 1). It is good for the representatives of the general public, as fewer people will be unemployed. Oil spending will also reduce, which is advantageous for the economy. Moreover, the reduction of its usage is good for the environment. In this way, there will be no necessity anymore to allocate so many military forces to protect oil flow.
As a consequence, national security will not be so affected as it is now. The population of the county and tourists will have an opportunity to travel through the USA and to other locations in convenient trains that follow a particular schedule with no delays. Trains also provide an opportunity to reduce congestion on roads. More people will be able to afford traveling due to the ticket price that will be lowered. A new way of transportation will also be much safer as it was statistically proved that the majority of accidents happen when people use cars.
I also believe that the implementation of a high-speed travel system will affect my county’s tourism system in a positive manner. Many people treat such trains as a project from the future that can compare with the air industry (Steketee para. 6). Thus, the image of the country improves and tourists got attracted by it (Delaplace, Bazin-Benoit, and Pagliara 6). New trains can entail the occurrence of new routes that are likely to be used by the US population, the majority of which stated that they prefer rail transportation to planes. Train tickets are cheaper than those needed for a plane that is why more Americans and foreigners will travel.
The fact that trains are safer will also appeal to the customers. Tourists will also have an opportunity to see some additional sightseeing attractions while traveling. Except for that, more business trips will be maintained, as companies tend to choose both cheap and fast means of transport (Pagliara et al. 190).
Pagliara, Francesca, Andrea Pietra, Juan Gomez and Jose Vassallo. “High Speed Rail and the Tourism Market: Evidence from the Madrid Case Study”. Transport Policy 37.1 (2015): 187-194. Print.
In the fast-paced environment of the 21st century, there is a growing need to create a transportation network that would increase mobility by providing easy access to different modes of transport as well as reliable information that would allow making an informed choice. Today, the ongoing movement of both people and goods largely predetermines the level of the economy and has an undeniable impact on the quality of our daily life (Slack, 2016).
It is quite a rare case when a journey or a supply chain involves a single mode of transport: intermodal transportation has already become a part of our routine. However, it is highly challenging both for travelers and suppliers to plan the whole route in such a way that would make it possible to complete a journey without delays arising from transport change (Slack, 2016). Therefore, the demand for seamless access to transfer across transportation modes is increasing. Unfortunately, the available capacity of infrastructure does not allow satisfying it, which accounts for the fact that we still have to deal with overcrowded trains, airport delays, supply chain failures, and other similar problems (Baykasoğlu & Subulan, 2016).
Currently, even the most advanced technology has a lot of limitations that thwart the progress of intermodal transportation. The paper at hand is going to prove that open data is one of the key solutions in overcoming transport-related problems.
Innovation to Meet Changing Demands
The modern society is changing even quicker than the technology, which makes transportation network devise ways to keep pace and satisfy the new demands of its users. There are a lot of pressures the system has to experience, and failures to meet expectations are not infrequent. Moreover, businesses and individuals have switched to the lifestyle that requires to be connected 24/7. The same is expected from intermodal transport: the system has to provide an opportunity of easy connection saving time and money (Steadie Seifi, Dellaert, Nuijten, Van Woensel, & Raoufi, 2014).
That allows stating that transport suppliers have entered a brand new world of technology, customer satisfaction determinants, demand, and competition level – the world that calls for both immediate and continuous transformation. The customer is no longer satisfied with the schedule of one part of the journey or delivery – he/she wants to be guaranteed that the whole process will run smoothly and within a specified period of time. That preconditioned the appearance of the trend towards open data platforms. The release of large amounts of information into the public use has revolutionized route planning, ticketing, booking, financial management, connecting services as well as other related domains (Luo, Gao, & Akçay, 2016).
The demand for transport is on the rise as overcrowding is not only a problem of inconvenience but also a negative factor hindering economic development. Traveling should now be considered as a process of necessity, which increases the significance of innovation that would make it possible to cope with the current challenges. The society is now open to data sharing as it can provide a number of unquestionable advantages to intermodal transport and help travelers find the most effective solutions (Luo et al., 2016). There appear new businesses based on online platforms such as taxi, car-sharing, bike-hire, etc., the success of which is largely predetermined by their ability to collaborate with one another. Intermodal transportation presupposes not only new technologies but also a new way of thinking and operating: if businesses want to achieve common goals and keep pace with the environment, staying detached from other industry representatives is no longer possible (Meisel, Kirschstein, & Bierwirth, 2013).
Open Data: Willingness to Share
Taking into account the increased importance of cooperation, an open data system becomes a key component to the successful development of the intermodal network as it allows switching from one mode to another without transition problems. However, to make it possible, the provider of each mode involved in the chain should be willing to give others access to information the company possesses (Meisel et al., 2013).
Supposedly, the public sector will side with the idea of introducing an open data policy. Yet, the private sector is very likely to be afraid of losing a competitive edge together with data proprietary. That is why its representatives show higher resistance to change. Despite the fact that their doubts are not groundless, there are still a lot of advantages that they can obtain from sharing data with other transportation companies. First and foremost, it will help increase the efficiency of the whole system. As a result, the position in the market will be reinforced and customer satisfaction is likely to increase. Transparency ensures high-speed connectivity, reduction of fuel consumption, and harmful emissions to the environment, service and vehicle innovations, and other benefits (Gebhardt et al., 2016).
Most of the private mobility providers realize open data potential and are ready to cooperate with their former rivals. Yet, for others, benefits do not provide enough reason to disclose data that gives them a competitive advantage. In such cases, mandates can be used to foster data sharing: a lot of urban transport services need access to public rights-of-way, which means that local bodies can ask them to share data in exchange for this access. This will create favorable conditions for the development of an open data environment that is to be regulated by the authorities.
Merging the Private and the Public
As it is evident from the previous section, the ability to monitor the whole network of transportation options is vital for individuals and businesses, which makes open data the key component of intermodality. However, even if we take it for granted that all transportation service providers are willing to share their data, there is still a challenge of merging information coming from the private sector with public information, which is absolutely necessary to make data valuable. At the same time, the system must be protected from the misuse (Eriksson & Svensson, 2017).
Thus, there is a need to create a shared room of configurable resources that would be closed to other systems outside the network. This is now possible with a great number of cloud storage. Clouds will enable the intermodal transportation system to control its numerous vehicles and quickly integrate new ones (Slack, 2016).
Intermodal Freight Transport: Information Transparency
Intermodal freight transportation involves even more complex processes than those associated with public transport. It requires expert knowledge of the delivery system organization, well-established communication channels with all parties constituting the supply chain, and uninterrupted access to all related data (Slack, 2016).
The situation is complicated by the fact that a lot of information (such as detailed descriptions of destinations, freight lines, operation costs, etc.) is still kept non-transparent. Yet, it is required to connect ports with railway stations, air delivery with land-based distribution as well as in any other connections. Transparency would increase the efficiency and predictability of the supply chain while reducing operation costs, energy consumption, and emissions (Eriksson & Svensson, 2017).
Intermodal freight transportation presupposes interchanging modes without handling the freight (that should have an intermodal container), which improves security, increases speed, reduces damage, and cuts costs. IT systems are currently being developed and tested to connect different modes and businesses without delay and additional expenses. The idea is to identify transportation that has spare load capacity and establish connections in advance. The major challenge, however, is to unite all the sources of information that are now available and integrate their data into one system featuring an interface that would make meaning to all parties involved and will not overcomplicate logistic processes (Eriksson & Svensson, 2017).
Smartphones to Handle Intermodality
It is quite clear that open data can be accessed using a smartphone. Still, these tools provide a lot more opportunities to handle intermodality: using mobile apps, people are able to integrate mobility services, collect information from a number of different sources and structure it in such a way that the user could understand it and get the benefit out of its use.
There are a lot of apps that try to manage multimodal integration. When users provide information about their current location and then choose the final destination they want to reach, most apps display a list of mode options and even provide an approximate time and cost of traveling. Yet, owing to the underdevelopment of open data sharing systems, mobile apps fail to schedule a trip using multiple modes in such a way that time periods and places where the transition occurs correspond (Bräysy, & Hasle, 2014).
There are many other limitations smartphones have besides the apps that they use. For instance, points of access to mobile ticketing are not very numerous, which is a problem for both travelers and providers. It is still typical of the passenger to use paper tickets that there will be no problem with the ability of the system to accept mobile payment (Bräysy, & Hasle, 2014).
Another obstacle to use smartphones for accessing open data systems is their cost. Despite the economic progress, there is still a great number of people who cannot afford a smartphone that would feature all the required functions. Moreover, their use is quite complicated for the elderly people who have either no smartphone at all or no desire/ability to learn how to use such apps (Slack, 2016).
All these facts imply that even if a perfect app is developed to contain the open-access database, there are plenty of other problems that have to be addressed to ensure successful intermodality.
Conclusion
Although intermodality is developing rapidly, we are still quite far from creating a perfect system of transportation that would overcome all the existing challenges. This complex system would benefit a great deal from establishing a reliable open database connecting the private and the public sectors. The culture of collaboration should be encouraged to create favorable conditions for its appearance. Interventions must be made to increase customer satisfaction, which would at the same time provide additional benefits to all the sides engaged into an intermodal network as well as a considerable advantage to the environment.
The future of intermodal mobility is not clear now as a lot will depend on the development of the market and technologies (since currently, smartphones have a considerable number of weak points that do not allow using the entire potential of open data systems) as well as on motivation of people who strive to improve the quality of their lives.
References
Baykasoğlu, A., & Subulan, K. (2016). A multi-objective sustainable load planning model for intermodal transportation networks with a real-life application. Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, 95(3), 207-247.
Bräysy, O., & Hasle, G. (2014). Software tools and emerging technologies for vehicle routing and intermodal transportation. Vehicle Routing: Problems, Methods, and Applications, 18, 351.
Eriksson, D., & Svensson, G. (2017). Transfer of responsibility between supply chains. World Review of Intermodal Transportation Research, 6(2), 130-140.
Gebhardt, L., Krajzewicz, D., Oostendorp, R., Goletz, M., Greger, K., Klötzke, M.,… Heinrichs, D. (2016). Intermodal urban mobility: users, uses, and use cases. Transportation Research Procedia, 14(4), 1183-1192.
Luo, T., Gao, L., & Akçay, Y. (2016). Revenue management for intermodal transportation: the role of dynamic forecasting. Production and Operations Management, 25(10), 1658-1672.
Meisel, F., Kirschstein, T., & Bierwirth, C. (2013). Integrated production and intermodal transportation planning in large scale production-distribution networks. Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, 60(1), 62-78.
Slack, B. (2016). Intermodal transportation. Sustainable Railway Futures: Issues and Challenges, 13(1), 219-231.
Steadie Seifi, M., Dellaert, N. P., Nuijten, W., Van Woensel, T., & Raoufi, R. (2014). Multimodal freight transportation planning: A literature review. European Journal of Operational Research, 233(1), 1-15.
As it appears, the policy problem is that it cannot cover everybody’s needs and requirements, so it will be difficult to reach social satisfaction because of the increased use of public transport. Thus, a social security failure, a limitation of movement, and a hot weather limitation will be observed.
The role of the government is essential, as it should implement the policy smoothly and benefit people. If the government does not intervene, people will not use public transport and they will depend on their own vehicles, which opposes government’s vision. Moreover, it will make public transportation lose its income because the number of users will be reduced.
Main objectives of this policy are to reduce pollution, encourage people to depend on public transportation, make Dubai a pedestrian-friendly city, change people’s culture, encouraging them to walk to bus/metro stations.
Continuation of the Paper
The government wants to increase the use of public transport in Dubai. However, this change may be unsuccessful because of the hot weather that is often observed in the city. Social security failure, limitation of movement, and hot weather limitation will be discussed in more detail further in the paper.
Social Security Failure
More Load on Police Checkpoints
Dubai is willing to protect its citizens that is why much attention is paid to the identification of criminals and detection of harmful equipment or forbidden items. To make it easier for the police to cope with their duties and ensure people’s security, the government urge the necessity to use checkpoints. In addition to that, they provide an opportunity to identify impaired driving, which is critical for the country because the number of associated death rates increased dramatically. In 2013, for instance, there were “635 accidents in which 38 people died and 589 were injured, and 1,087 vehicles were damaged” (SellAnyCar.com Team, 2014, para. 7). In this way, the introduction of checkpoints is a great possibility to avoid pursuits is obtained, and streets become safe.
Police checkpoints presuppose the necessity to stop a vehicle in case of suspicion of some illegal actions. Drivers are expected to provide their documents, and additional investigation of their belongings or the very car may be required. In case of public transport, police officers may need to search the whole vehicle and check all passengers, which turns out to be rather time-consuming. As a result, the number of officers at a checkpoint should be increased, or existing professionals should work more productively to prevent the development of horrendous traffic. Unfortunately, it may lead to the increased expenditures for the police department or issues faced by the officers, such as burnout and overload. As a consequence, the representatives of the general public will be dissatisfied with both the public transport and police services because the procedure on checkpoints will be time-consuming. For instance, in Thailand, three types of checkpoints are used to streamline these operations: “general police checkpoints, selective breath testing, and special event sobriety check-points” (Ditsuwan, Veerman, Bertram, & Vos, 2015, p. NP2177). In this way, the number of police officers at a checkpoint depends on its type, and specific equipment is provided. Such alterations are likely to benefit Dubai because even initial attempts to improve road safety led to the reduction of run-over accidents from 379 cases in 2016 (January – April) to 114 at the same period of time the next year (Ramahi, 2017).
Easy Target for Terrorist Attacks
Terrorism is a critical issue that is faced by many developed countries, and it is a real threat to Dubai. Due to the Western interests, the city faces a high risk of attack even though it does not have a history of terrorism. In 2016, for instance, it dealt with more than 35 cases of terrorism, which proved this year to be the most active (United States Department of State, 2017). In this way, the government and the representatives of the general public should do their best to ensure that this problem will not affect the well-being of the population.
It is significant to understand that terrorists often have large targets because they are willing to attract as much attention as possible. They are focused on those places and events that gather the citizens so that a minimal source of danger can lead to the greatest harm and destruction. In this way, terrorists are likely to attack overcrowded public transport, offices, and entertainment facilities. The cases of the USA, Great Britain, and Canada prove this fact, as they report numerous fatal outcomes (Kinney, 2016). Trying to hide from the hot weather of Dubai, people face the necessity to go to public places, which increases their vulnerability significantly and makes them an easy target for terrorists. Nevertheless, their safety can be improved with the help of the increased television surveillance and improved work of transit employees, police, military, and security officials. In addition to that, passenger education is significant (Kinney, 2016).
Limitation of Movement
More Pressure on a Person to Take a Taxi to Bus/Metro Stations
When it is hot outside, people tend to look for those means of transport that include air conditioners. In Dubai, buses and metro trains are developed so that they use this advanced technology and provide the general public with an opportunity to benefit from it. Moreover, people have an opportunity to experience positive effects of air-conditioned bus stops and metro stations. What is more significant, these vehicles are rather affordable so they can be used by ordinary workers who do not have a high income. As a result, many individuals reveal their desire to use public transport. However, bus and metro stations are not always close to people’s residence or workplace, which means that they have to walk for a while suffering from the extreme heat. As a result, weather conditions make citizens increase their expenditures. Those individuals, who are limited in their finances, take a taxi to these stations so that they can change their transport and use a bus or a train further. A taxi allows its passengers to avoid traveling on foot under the scalding sun and to benefit from the air conditioner. Therefore, it is not surprising that taxis are used by 33% of the population while metro and buses are used by 35% and 28% accordingly (“543 million passengers,” 2017).
One Accident Can Affect a Large Group of People
The increased use of public transport that is caused by the hot weather in Dubai increases the vulnerability of a large group of people. For instance, when a car accident happens, it usually involves only several individuals. One or two drivers and their passengers may be injured or dead depending on the severity of the accident. Nevertheless, the number of involved individuals is less than 10 in the majority of cases. However, public transport provides dozens of people with an opportunity to travel at the same time, which presupposes that all of them may be affected adversely. In this way, buses and trains put many citizens under a threat of injuring. For example, “of the 371 European [terrorist] attacks, 232 were on passenger trains and subways, 126 against buses, and three on passenger ferries or their terminals” (Kinney, 2016, para. 7). As a result of these attacks, almost 500 casualties and more than 4000 injuries were observed. Such statistics prove that the use of public transport increases people’s vulnerability. Even though this type of transit has numerous benefits for the country and its population, it is vital to consider the threats that it entails and to develop measures that can be used to deal with them.
Hot Weather Limitation
Difficulties of Walking to Stations During Ramadan Mornings
The majority of Dubai population is Muslims who follow those practices that are presupposed by their religion. As people are fasting, they are limited in water and food that can consume during the day. However, citizens are still obliged to fulfill their everyday duties, such as going to school or work. During hot mornings, individuals may find it difficult to get to bus or metro stations without drinking. According to Dubai Municipality (2016), heat-related illness is a critical problem that affects the population when the temperature reaches almost 50 degrees Celsius. In the majority of cases, those individuals who work outside or have to spend much time in order to reach their workplace are affected. A long walk can lead to dehydration and cause the development of serious health problems but not just a desire to quench their thirst. Moreover, the absence of water and food in hot weather is likely to contribute to people’s weakness and loss of concentration, which will definitely affect their productivity. As a result, citizens will not be able to cope with their duties, which can have a negative influence on the whole country. In this way, if Dubai is willing to make its population use public transport more often, it should also pay attention to the development of transit network.
The Necessity to Use Other Means of Transport in Summer
In summer, the weather in Dubai is associated with extreme heat. In order to avoid its effects, the representatives of the general public do everything possible to stay in those places that are equipped with air conditioners. As the use of public transport presupposes the necessity to have a long walk under the sun, citizens are likely to give preference to individual vehicles or taxies. As a result, buses and trains are likely to be neglected during the whole season, which can have a negative influence on the economy. Moreover, people will increase their expenditures, which can prevent them from having enough money to satisfy other needs, such as those associated with healthcare services. As a result, the well-being of the population may suffer. However, the government of Singapore found out that the development of the bus and train network, as well as the use of the mass rapid transit is likely to improve this situation. This change increased the use of public transport almost by 10% in a decade and reduced the use of private cars from about 25% in 2010 to 22% in 2015 (“More Singaporeans,” 2016). Thus, Dubai can benefit from the use of the same strategy.
Conclusion
Thus, it can be claimed that the hot weather in Dubai affects the use of public transport significantly and influences social satisfaction adversely, which means that the government should pay more attention to this issue before implementing the policy. In particular, social security suffers because of the increased difficulty of those procedures that are to be performed at the police checkpoints, and the risk of terrorist attacks becomes higher. Because of extreme heat, people use taxies to get to bus and metro stations, which is resource consuming. However, traveling by bus or train, large groups of people may be injured in case of an accident. Hot weather prevents people from traveling on foot and reaching stations on their own. As a result, they tend to use alternative means of transport instead of public ones. Thus, governmental bodies should consider the ways to overcome these problems to ensure successful implementation of the policy.
References
Ditsuwan, V., Veerman, J. L., Bertram, M., & Vos, T. (2015). Sobriety checkpoints in Thailand: A review of effectiveness and developments over time. Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health, 27(2), NP2177-NP2187.