Transport Operations (Shipping) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Transport Operations (Shipping) - Essay Example At the same time, intermodal transport refers to a system of transport where by more than one mode of transport is used to move the same loading unit in an integrated way. This paper will critically analyse how short sea shipping may influence multimodal and intermodal transport planning. Multimodal transport contains a chain of process and steps such as multiple storage and handling stages which require a thorough control. Hence, this mode of transport will not be effective if various phases of the transport are not controlled properly. As Devia (2008) points out, the main difficulty associated with the carriage of goods is that there is no international regime in force regarding various modes of transport. As a result of this lack of uniformity in regulation, the determination of the law depends on a specific transport process when different modes of transport are deployed. As Sturley (2007) reminds, there may arise some problems in the transport of goods between countries located at different continent if the goods in transit are damaged. In such cases, it is very difficult to identify the places or stages where the damages occurred so that the liability of the carrier varies in relation to the court where he is sued. The absence of a unified law for the multimoda l transport of goods caused the emergence of some regional, sub regional and national regulations, which in turn caused great difficulties for the international transport of goods. Similarly, intermodal transport systems face different types of threats from terrorists. From different experiences, it has been observed that railroad freight is extremely vulnerable to terrorist attacks. In addition, issues associated with modular service offerings, transport chain coordination, and network technologies impinge on the scope of intermodal transport systems. In short, it is necessary to establish well planned multimodal and intermodal