COMMERCE 101

MEANS/METHODS OF TRANSPORTATION

Hey Everyone, Hope the week is going well? It Is Well with You in Jesus Name- Amen. Today we are continuing from where we stopped last week. Let's get started....

There are four major forms of Transport namely:

1. LAND TRANSPORT

 This means of Transportation is very good for trading within a country. It is a means of conveying goods and passengers from one place to another through land. Land Transport can be divided into: Road and Rail Transport.

a. Road Transport is the most extensively used, of all the means of transportation. It is the movement of goods and passengers on the road, by motor vehicles, buses, cars, motorcycles, bicycles etc.

Advantages of Road Transport:

* It is flexible since there is no fixed time scheduled.

* It is good for carrying perishable goods.

* It is faster on the short distance journey.

* It has no special routes.

* It provides door to door services for transporting goods.

Disadvantages of Road Transport:

* It is not good for conveying heavy and bulky goods like machine.

* It is not good fragile goods like mirrors, glass plates etc.

* It is slow.

* Welfare facilities like toilets, canteen are not provided in the road transport.

b. Rail Transport is a means of conveying goods and passengers from one place to another by train. It moves on iron tracks known as Railway Line. In Nigeria, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (N.R.C) manages the rail system.

There are two types of Train: (i) Passengers Train  (ii) Goods Train.

(i) Passenger Train is used for carrying passengers, from one place to another. A Train has first class compartment, second class compartment and third class compartment.

(ii) Goods Train is used for conveying goods within a country. They can carry large amounts of heavy and bulky goods. For Example- Spare Parts etc.

Advantages of Rail Transport:

* It is good for long distant journey.

* Goods are weighed and charged at standardized state.

* It is the cheapest means of Transportation.

* It is suitable for carrying heavy and bulky goods over long distance.

* Accidents are not common as in road transport.

* Passengers can enjoyed toilet facilities, canteen services etc.

Disadvantages of Rail Transport:

* The cost of purchasing, constructing and maintaining the train and its tracks is very high.

* It is not suitable for perishable goods because it's too slow. For Example- Tomatoes.

* It is slow even on short distances.

* It can't provide door-to-door services like road transport.

2. PIPELINE TRANSPORT

This is a system of transporting gases and liquid products from one place to another. Pipeline are constructed or laid underground as means of carrying water, gases and petrol products.

Advantages of Pipeline Transport:

* It is cheap because of low maintenance.

* There is less possibility of accidents.

* The Climate condition may not affect pipeline easily.

Disadvantages of Pipeline Transport:

* The cost of constructing pipelines is very high.

* It can be easily damaged during road construction which can lead to wastage.

* It is only limited to liquid goods alone.

3. AIR TRANSPORT

This is the system of moving goods and passengers through air by helicopters, aero planes etc. It is very fast and comfortable but it is very expensive.

Advantages of Air Transport:

* It is the Fastest Means of Transportation.

* It is suitable for perishable, expensive and fragile items.

* It is the most comfortable means of transport.

* It is good for long distances.

* It is reliable because it travels on schedule.

Disadvantages of Air Transport:

* The cost of Air fare is expensive.

* The weather may disrupt the flight.

* It is not good for moving heavy and bulky goods like machineries.

* The accident is always fatal

4. WATER TRANSPORT

It is a means of conveying goods and people from one place to another, through the rivers, sea or oceans by ship, boat, canoes etc. Water Transportation facilitates international trade between different nations because goods and passengers can be easily transferred.

Advantages of Water Transport:

* It is used for carrying heavy and bulky goods.

* Accidents are rare.

* It helps to convey goods from one place to another.

* It is very cheap.

Disadvantages of Water Transport:

* It is very slow over long distance.

* It is too expensive to maintain a ship.

* It is limited to areas where water exists.

This brings us to the end of today's session. Hope this was very helpful to you, leave a comment of what you think of this tutorial and of your questions below. Have a Blessed Day and Remember You are Amazing. God Bless.