Inland Barge Operation In Europe and China - Research Paper Example

? Inland Barge Operation In Europe and China Introduction China and European countries have developed exponentially in the past few decades. Transportation is a key component of any meaningful progress in a country since raw materials and other factors of production have to be moved. It is imperative that the rate of development is directly related to the efficiency of the transportation system. The most common modes of cargo transport in Europe and China are rail, road and inland barge transportation. The method of cargo transport chosen should be able to allow for efficient and timely movement of goods from place to place. In Europe and China, there have been significant advancements in the three forms of transportation. Rail transport has evolved over time and technological advancements have made the system more efficient and economical (Rodrigue, 2010). Most countries in these regions have developed an extensive railway network that traverses the area. Thus, rail transport is widely used for passenger and cargo transportation throughout the two regions as well us to regions. On the other hand, road transport is also widely used in the European and Chinese regions. The road network in Europe is extensive and covers virtually all the corners of the region. According to (Vrenken et al, 2005), the road network in Europe has the best roads globally with tarmacked roads covering over seventy percent of the region. Suffice to say, there are numerous road transport companies that own trucks used for delivery of cargo. The road transport system has been widely adopted in China due to its affordability and efficiency. Long haul trucks are used to deliver cargo from all the areas in China. The truck transport system is efficiently due to precise coordination between the track companies and the warehouses where the cargo is taken from or delivered to. However, the road and rail cargo transportation systems have various weaknesses. One of the challenges of road transport is the inevitable traffic jams that are common occurrences in Europe and China (Rodrigue, 2010). Due to the traffic jams, trucks may end up wasting precious time on the road and the delays may affect the entire production system. Rail transport also faces significant challenges such as questionable efficiency and transport delays. Also, the two modes of transport are costly due to the high cost of fuel. Inland barge transportation is a viable alternative for the transportation of cargo. The use of boats and other water transport vessels for the transportation of cargo within the region can help to sustain the development in these regions and add other benefits. This paper argues that inland barge transportation is a more efficient mode of cargo transportation compared to road and rail transportation. This research therefore seeks to determine the use of inland barges in transportation in the two regions and the level of contribution of this type of transportation in each of the regions. In doing this, the research examines the advantages and the disadvantages of the transport systems and the extent to which it has contributed to the attainment of the modern state of the economy in the regions. The inland barge transport system will be evaluated in both regions and the contribution that it has made to the development of the regions. The potential benefits of the inland barge transportation system will be analyzed. Furthermore, the discourse compares the transport mechanism in the two regions and further compares the level of development and the growth rate of the regions. In doing this, the research establishes the contribution of transportation to the process of development and determines the most cost effective means of transportation for the two regions and the whole world by extrapolation. Cargo transportation The transport sector forms a critical component of any region. In fact, an efficient transport network is often a pointer towards the level of development that is possible in a region. Industrial advancements require an efficient transportation system to enable the smooth flow of the factors of production (Eastman, 1987). Thus, cargo transportation plays a significant role in the industrial development and overall economic growth of a region. The European region has an extensive system of rivers that link together several industrial areas. According to (Vrenken, 2005), the core network of water canals and rivers consists of over six thousand miles that connect the various countries in the European region. The major rivers such as the Rhine, the Seine and the Danube form the backbone of this inland water network that covers almost the entire European region. The Rhine River waterway system is the most developed in the European region as it serves the region’s largest industrial base. It dissects the European regions by connecting several countries along its course. The Rhine River is critical since it serves both the inland market and the international waterways. Despite the extensive waterways, the inland barge system is underutilized in the region yet it has a great potential. The usage of the waterways varies among the countries in Europe. On average, the waterways in Europe account for approximately six percent of the cargo transport market (Vrenken, 2005). However, there are glaring disparities among the individual countries in Europe. For instance, waterways carried over 44% of all the goods while in France, the waterways accounted for a paltry 2% of all the goods transported (Rodrigue, 2010). The other European countries also have a significant usage of inland barge transportation although this mode of transportation still lags behind in comparison to road and rail transport. China has the largest inland water transport system both in terms of length and the total volume of cargo carried (Goh & Ling, 2003). The inland water system comprises of over 123, 495 Kilometers of navigable length. The region has over five thousand rivers that span across the entire country. According to (Biswas, 2007), the 6300 km length of the Yangtze River is greater that the length of any inland waterways of any other country. This implies that the inland water transport system has a great potential to aid the development of China as an economic powerhouse globally. According to (Rodrigue, 2010), China’s inland waterways transported in excess of one million tones of cargo in 2007. The quantity of cargo transported using the inland waterways have increased exponentially due to the growing industrial potential of China. In comparison, quantity of cargo transported using inland waterways in 2007 in United States of America and the European Union was eight hundred million tones and five hundred million tones respectively. It is evident that China is the leading region in terms of utilizing inland waterways transportation system. Other than the Yangtze River, the Pearl River waterway and the Hangzhou-Beijing waterway also contribute to China’s inland barge transportation. The Pearl River waterway offers an important link between Hong Kong and the industrial manufacturing areas of Guangdong. This has contributed significantly to improving trade between China and the rest of the world as the goods are shipped to Hong Kong before they are dispatched to various parts of the world. The Hangzhou-Beijing waterway is the world’s longest man made waterway. Although silting was a major obstacle to its usage in inland barge transportation for more than a century, its navigable length has been significantly increased to a high of one thousand kilometers during the flood season. As the three main rivers navigate through several provinces, it is possible to easily use inland barge transportation to cover most of the country (Vrenken, 2005). Benefits of inland barge transportation The usage of inland barge transportation system instead of either rail or road transport offers the benefit of cutting costs. The cost of fuel has been increasing exponentially in the recent past and this cost is passed on to the transport agencies. In essence, the fuel consumption of a water vessel is a fraction of the fuel cost of a similar quantity of cargo delivered by road (Eastman, 1987). This is due to the fact that it would take hundreds of trucks to transport tonnage equal to that delivered by one water vessel. Thus, inland barge transport can result in significant savings in terms of fuel used. Also, the numerous trucks require at least two drivers and other administrative staff in order to run efficiently. On the other hand, the manpower required to run the inland barge transport system is much smaller and leaner. By choosing to use inland barge transportation to deliver cargo to ports located further inland, the associated transportation costs will be significantly reduced. It should be noted that the adoption of inland barge transportation in China has helped the country to offer its products to the market at a lower cost. This is because the cost of transporting the finished products and the factors of production is much lower as a result of using inland waterways. The other benefit of inland barge transportation system is that it is reliable and efficient (Biswas, 2007). One of the major disadvantages of road transport is due to delays caused by traffic jams and other road issues. In fact, the road transport system has a low level of reliability due to its unpredictability. It is difficult to predict the traffic situations on the roads as they are subject numerous variables. In comparison, the inland water systems transportation is very reliable and efficient. Notably, the water vessels are not subject to “jams” and other issues as they move from one point to another. The water vessels can operate on a reliable schedule which is guaranteed and predictable. This is an important benefit since it makes it possible for industries and businesses to operate efficiently without having to worry about delays in the delivery of goods. Environmental pollution has become an issue of major concern globally. Every sector of the economy has the obligation to minimize its contribution to environment pollution. The transportation industry as contributed significantly to the pollution of the environment (Goh & Ling, 2003). The emission of gases by trucks and trains leads to air pollution which is harmful to the environment. In urban areas, the movement of trucks and trains can lead to noise pollution. Therefore, it is imperative that the use of road and rail transport has a negative impact of polluting the environment. This is a matter of great concern since the economies of Europe and China are growing and thus more cargo has to be transported. If more trucks and trains are involved in the transportation of cargo due to the increased industrial production of these regions, the impact on the environment may be catastrophic. It is therefore important that alternative means of cargo transport that are environment friendly should be adopted. Inland barge transport system offers a viable alternative since it is comparably environment friendly. For instance, the gaseous emissions of the water vessels are lower as compared to that of trucks on the roads. Also, inland water transport systems do not pass through densely populated areas and hence they pose little danger to the health of people (Biswas, 2007). The issues of security and sustainability are also important in the selection of modes of transport. It should be noted that cargo transported holds economic value and therefore it should transported securely to spare the owners loses. Road transport is risky since the trucks can be easily hijacked and the cargo looted. In this respect, cargo transport through inland waterways is secure since it cannot be easily hijacked. Challenges facing inland barge transportation in China and Europe One of the challenges that have hampered the adoption of inland barge transportation in China is natural occurrences such as silting. For instance, the Hangzhou-Beijing River was made impassable for more than a century due to silting (Vrenken, 2005). Only four hundred kilometers of the more than one thousand seven hundred kilometers length of the river are navigable all year round. The Chinese government has made significant efforts to dredge the river in order to increase the navigable length. During the flood season, the navigable length of the river has been extended to over one thousand kilometers. Also, not all tributaries of the main rivers in China are navigable and this limits the inland barge transport systems’ reach. This implies that the inland barge system cannot manage an end to end cargo delivery. The other challenge of inland barge transport system is the lack of government support. In most of the European countries, there are regional government policies that govern the inland barge transport system (Rodrigue, 2010). Hence, despite the fact that inland barge transport system is one of oldest cargo transport systems, it has not developed to adapt to the changing and competitive environment. It should be noted that government investment and policy guidelines are essential for the development of the inland water transport systems. This cargo transport system should be formalized and linked to international shippers, carriers and gateway ports. There is no policy paper and legal framework to govern the inland waterways transport system in the European Union member countries. The development of the inland barge transport system requires technological advancements and innovations in the sector. Over the years, there has been no significant innovation in the field of inland water systems transport (Biswas, 2007). Without improvements in the quality of water vessels used and the related technologies, it is difficult for this means of transport to gain greater acceptance and adapt to the evolving conditions. Conclusion Inland barge transport system has not been widely used in the Europe and China. However, the inland water systems offer great benefits such as fuel efficiency, minimal environment pollution, reliability and efficiency. Thus, it is evident that this system is better in comparison to other alternatives such as rail and road transport. However, it is necessary for the authorities to put in place policies and incentives that can help to spur the development of the inland barge transport system. Also, there is need for additional research and innovations in the sector so as to make inland barge transportation competitive in China and Europe. References Biswas, A. K. (2007). Inland waterways for transportation of agricultural, industrial and energy products. International Journal of Water Resources Development, 3(1), 9-22. Eastman, S.E. (1980). Fuel Efficiency in Freight Transportation. Arlington, VA: The American Waterway Operators, Inc. Goh, M., & Ling, C. (2003). Logistics development in China. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 33(10), 886-917. Rodrigue, J. P. (2010). Maritime Transportation: Drivers for the Shipping and Port Industries. In International Transport Forum. Vrenken, H., Macharis, C., & Wolters, P. (2005). Intermodal transport in Europe. Brussels,, Belgium: European Intermodal Association. . Read More