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Flight Dispatcher: A Silent Labourer in the Aviation Industry

When you see planes fly in the sky, a fairly large number of people believe it is solely the work of pilots. Many fliers also assume that air travel safety majorly depends on the flight crew, so they assume that pilots, more than any other set of people, ensure the safety of airline operations. So when you see a plane in the sky flying, many people believe it is the act or work of skilful pilots. So pilots become more popular and successful professionals in the eyes of many people; little do they know that for a successful flight to get to a desired destination goes beyond the visible work of a pilot. Little do they also know that there are invisible pilots, though not professionally so, that keep watch on the flight to ensure that both the crew pilots and the passengers in the flight are able to get to their desired destination timely and safely.

The Men Behind Every Flying Plane

These invisible pilots in every flight are flight dispatchers or aircraft dispatchers. Even though they are not the professional pilots that fly planes yet, they are the men behind the scene that keep an eye on the planes in the sky, in order to guide and give recommendations to crew pilots when necessary on foreseen issues that may threaten the safety of the flying plane, so as to ensure safe and smooth operations.

Indispensable Role

Flight Dispatchers are part of the ground people that perform different activities which include flight plans, safety guidelines, and weather reports, among others. Flight Dispatchers spend reasonable amount of their time monitoring several planes in the sky while at the same time communicating with pilots in such planes.

History reveals that in the 1940s to 1960s airline operations lack input of air dispatchers. History has it that many costly mistakes were made by pilots which led to unwanted plane crashes that would have been avoided, if flight dispatchers were in place to give support to the pilots.

For instance, on August 15, 1949, the Transocean Airlines crashed with 8 fatalities, caused by fuel exhaustion due to lack of adequate preflight planning. Also on May 27, 1950, Regina Cargo Airlines crashed with 2 fatalities due to overloading above the required gross weight, due to lack of flight manifest. In addition, an aircraft known as Continental Charters also crashed in December 29, 1951 with 26 fatalities, due to failure to obtain preflight weather information coupled with lack of preflight planning.

All these accidents were due to lack of Flight Dispatchers. There were other plane crashes during this period apart from the ones mentioned in this article that could have been avoided, if there were proper operational control and adequate dispatch oversight. Therefore, the need for the role of Flight Dispatchers in the aviation industry becomes inevitable.

Nevertheless, Flight Dispatchers monitor airborne flights 24/7. They also perform preflight planning for each flight. Indeed, they are indispensable silent labourers for every airborne flight, which many people don’t know or recognize.

Flight Dispatcher and Its Common Misconception

When you see planes fly in the sky, a fairly large number of people believe it is solely the work of pilots. Many fliers also assume that air travel safety majorly depends on the flight crew, so they assume that pilots, more than any other set of people, ensure the safety of airline operations. So when you see a plane in the sky flying, many people believe it is the act or work of skillful pilots. So pilots become more popular and successful professionals in the eyes of many people; little do they know that for a successful flight to get to a desired destination goes beyond the visible work of a pilot. Little do they also know that there are invisible pilots, though not professionally so, that keep watch on the flight to ensure that both the crew pilots and the passengers in the flight are able to get to their desired destination timely and safely.

History for the Need of Flight Dispatcher

History reveals that in the 1940 to 1960s airline operations lack input of air dispatchers. History has it that many costly mistakes were made by pilots which led to unwanted plane crashes that would have been avoided, if flight dispatchers were in place to give support to the pilots.

7 NOTABLE FUNCTIONS OF FLIGHT DISPATCHERS

A flight dispatcher is an important element of the aviation industry that supports smooth flight operation. It is a notable department that ensures maximum safety for flight operations in the airline business and regular exercise of flying an aircraft. In some countries, flight dispatchers are called airline dispatchers, flight operations officers or flight followers. Whichever name they are known for in your country is secondary, the primary concern in this article is the effective roles of flight dispatchers. However, below are the special activities of flight dispatchers:

They prepare and print each flight paperwork that contains all needed information for the crew to operate. This printed paperwork is known as flight release which includes flight plans, passenger lists, flight fuel, flight route, weather reports, among others.
They help to predict the weather condition and prevent flights from unfavourable and unsafe weather condition.
Flight dispatchers have 50% legal responsibility of every dispatch flight safety. They have the authority to disallow a flight ready for dispatch, if the safety condition is not satisfactory, after the pre-flight safety and maintenance checks have been carried out. Therefore, they have the authority to review the flight crew and concentrate on maximizing efficiency with safety in view.
They monitor the current flights in the sky while planning for new flights to come on board.
They critically examine the state or condition of aircraft with respect to aviation industry laws, so as to make a very clear and obvious decision on the safety condition of an aircraft, as to whether it’s safe or not for a particular trip.
They carefully plan for the fuel that an aircraft will need to complete any given trip or journey.
They also collaborate with load planners to carefully plan the cargo for each aircraft and ensure that the loading is done in accordance with the given instructions.

Nevertheless, flight dispatchers are as important as pilots. Permit me to say that they are silent pilots that shepherd airborne flights or planes in the sky and give suggestions about what should be done to the pilots if there’s any change relating to flight safety, smooth and efficient operation. Hence, as in the words of Herb Keller, “Dispatch is the heart of the airlines”.

Small in Size, Light in Weight, but too Dangerous for Airplanes to Carry

There is a little foe that must be prevented in the aviation industry, it is an enemy of any given flight any day or any time. Having considered the above caption, I guess one may wonder what this little foe is. It is a rat! It is the little foe that can cause great damage to a plane. Oftentimes, no one understands or can explain how and when this little foe gets into an aircraft and once it is sighted, no one takes it for granted, no matter how small it appears. It is dangerous enough to cause havoc on a flying plane. For instance, an airplane AI-952 was set to take off from Hyderabad to Visakhapatnam when a rat (the little foe) was sighted in the airplane. However, the plane was delayed for nearly 12 hours at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport according to the Deccan Chronicle. More so, a plane was delayed several hours when a rat was sighted on board, the plane was scheduled to travel from Amritar to Toronto and the journey was rescheduled for another plane. In addition, a plane known as Loong Air’s flight DJ8823 in China was set to fly from Hangzhou to Bijie and shortly after taking off, a rat was discovered in the cabin. Hence, the cabin crew had no other choice than to fly back to Hangzhou International Airport where another passenger plane was scheduled for their flight to Bijie Feixiong Airport. Furthermore, a passenger plane, Air Canada AC888 with 205 people on board, was set to travel from Canada to London Heathrow when a flier sighted a rat in an overhead locker. As a result of this incident, the flight captain asked all the fliers to come out of the said plane, in order to allow the pest control team to fish out the rat. Unfortunately, the rat was not found, hence, the flight was aborted and the passengers were delayed for the night while another airplane was scheduled for the journey. Truly speaking, there are other cases where evidence of a rat’s presence in a plane has caused the plane to stay longer on the land than expected. This unwanted situation of a rat’s presence in a plane is high risk to the health and safety of all passengers or fliers on board. Therefore, the need to establish a reliable, regular servicing programme by the aviation industry to ensure that every passenger plane or aircraft is free from rat presence, probably through fumigation and disinfection before allowing it to set on a journey, is not in doubt. Why Rat Presence in an Aircraft is Dangerous The rat’s quest for food and shelter are basically reasons why they are found in a plane. One of the rat’s natural habits is to hide itself in unsuspected spots and thereafter cause serious damage through its natural inherent sense to consume any consumable item such as cables, wire, food, etc. It can also damage boxes, parcels, etc. It can as well be an agent carrier of diseases and parasites to both man and animal. These explain why it is an undesirable element in the airplane. Its size may appear so small and featherweight, but its presence in a plane is more than enough to cause a plane crash or to ground and delay a flight for several hours. Indeed, it’s undesirable element in any given flight.

7 factors that determine the height of airplanes above the sea level

An aircraft flying in the sky

It is not arguable that the pilots in the cabin direct the airplane in the sky, but they never determine the height at which the plane must fly above the sea level, the route which the plane flies and the track or the passage for the plane to travel. The air dispatchers perform all these functions and here are factors that determine the height at which the plane flies into the sky:

The type of airplane.
The distance to a desired destination.
The type of the engine in the plane.
The strength of the prevailing wind.
The weight of the plane.
The aviation law.
The flight dispatchers.

The flight progress upward into the sky must be done with safety in view.

5 reasons why flying the plane more than its cruise altitude is dangerous

An aircraft flying in the sky

Flying the plane too high may be harmful and here are the reasons:

For emergency reasons: When a pilot flies a plane higher than the normal altitude, it will take a longer time for the pilot to return the plane to a safe altitude. When an unexpected dangerous situation occurs that calls for immediate action, bringing the plane down to a safe altitude may be difficult, if not impossible.
The weight of the plane: The weight of the airplane determines the extent to which the plane can fly into the sky. The more the weight of the airplane, the more difficult it is for such plane to fly at a higher altitude.
Shortage of fuel: The higher a plane flies beyond its normal altitude, the more fuel it burns to get there. This will definitely reduce the available fuel meant for the trip. You can imagine how dangerous it will be to fly a plane without enough fuel.
Inadequate oxygen: When the airplane flies much higher, there is inadequate oxygen to fuel the engine.
Every management of any given organization is not expected to run at a loss, they are expected to make profit for sustainability. Flying a plane above the clouds consumes a lot of fuel. However, flying a plane above the clouds for short destinations is not economical; it means the airliner will be spending so much money on fuel, which will increase the overhead cost.

Nevertheless, safety and quality of air transport experience are important issues in the aviation industry; therefore, safety standards must be followed, to ensure a better and consistent quality air transport experience.

5 reasons why the airplane flies so high. Peter Owinje.

The aviation industry is still playing a leading role in the movement of people and cargo in both long and short distance. International Civil Aviation Organization revealed that not less than 2.128 billion people travel by air transport every year. However, one may wonder why planes fly so high in the sky, here are the notable reasons, why pilots fly so high in the sky:

It enables the plane to fly faster: Oftentimes the direction in which the wind blows reduces the speed of the plane and the higher a plane can fly into the sky, the lesser the air becomes; and the lesser the air becomes, the lesser the air resistance in the sky and as a result of these the plan can fly faster. Therefore, this explains why pilots fly the plane higher above the clouds.
Unwanted threat from birds: Oftentimes birds are a major threat to planes flying at lower altitudes. There are certain altitudes that are too high for birds to penetrate and this explains why planes fly on high altitudes.
If the desired destination for a plane is very far, it will be economical for the plane to fly at higher altitudes, this will enable it to fly at minimum fuel consumption.
When planes fly so high above the clouds, it makes them to be free from unwanted impediments such as wind, birds etc., hence, enabling the passengers to enjoy uninterrupted flight.
For safety reason, pilots prefer to fly at high altitude of 6.62 miles, above the sea level. For instance, if any problem that can be fixed with time occurs in the plane, causing the plane to descend, with such height, the pilots may have some time to quickly fix the problem. But if the plane flies at lower altitude the pilots may not have enough time to fix the problem of the descending plane and it may lead to a plane crash.

So, you when see the pilots rising a plane upward a great distance into the sky, be sure that the intention is to find a place that is free from harm or danger. Indeed, safety is first in aviation industry.

AIR TRANSPORT AND INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT

Aircraft, Clouds, Boeing, Passenger Aircraft, Jet

Image by: Colin Behrens from Pixabay Whenever there is the need to talk about transportation of passengers across the globe, air transport in this regard, still remains the most widely used mode. Many people choose air transport for both the journey within the country and outside the country. Air transport is reliable, efficient, comfortable, fast and more importantly it is safer. In addition, it is a mode that breaks obvious geographical barriers between two or more countries. These may explain why it remains the choice of many people for their international transport. However, let us consider U.S. Aviation to justify this fact, here are the services rendered by Air Traffic Organization (ATO), as revealed by Federal Aviation Administration:

Federal Aviation Administration revealed that over 42, 000 planes take off every day in USA, while not less than 5, 000 planes in the sky at any point in time are monitored.
Over 100, 000 flights are handled by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) yearly.
Over 44, 000 planes are average daily flights managed by Federal Aviation Administration.
Not less than 14,695 air traffic controllers are engaged.
There are 19,622 airports in USA, with 5,092 for public airports while 14,530 are private airports
Not less than 2,789,971 passengers fly in and out of US airports every day.
Not less than 1 billion passengers in U.S. fly every year.
U.S.A. Aviation generates not less than 10,600,000 jobs.

The above points show that the aviation industry is one of the busiest industries in the world, handling millions of passengers every day, who choose air transport for their journey.

BETWEEN CAR OWNERSHIP AND MOST NECESSARY THINGS YOU MUST KNOW

It is not enough to be an owner of a car without knowing the most necessary things that can keep your car safe for yourself and for other road users. Hence, the saying: ‘A safe car saves lives’. However, here are the most necessary tips you need to know to keep your vehicle safe while using the road:

You must check your car fluids regularly.

To keep your car functioning properly you must ensure that adequate fluids are in your car. These fluids include Power Steering Fluid, Windshield Washer Fluid, Engine Oil and Brake Fluid.

You must change your car air filter when due.

Don’t try to get your vehicle engine dirty by refusing to change the air filter when due. A dirty engine may cause you unwanted expenses, therefore, it is advisable to change the air filter after every 6 months.

You must be sure that your car headlamps and tail lamps are working properly.

Malfunctioning of headlamps and tail lamps may pose a serious danger to the owner and other road users.

You must not take your tyre safety for granted.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed that more than 400 people lose their lives and 78 000 accidents occur every year due to tyre failures or blowouts.

You must not take your car brake for granted.

A vehicle without a brake is the most dangerous vehicle on the road. Many people have lost their lives while many others sustained permanent injuries due to brake failure.

You must make your vehicle available for routine maintenance.

The cost of routine car maintenance may be high and it may discourage you but a fatal accident due to poor maintenance of your car will cost you more. In other words, losing your precious life due to poor maintenance of your car is a costly mistake you need to avoid.

You must find a good and reliable mechanic.

A good routine car maintenance starts with a good and reliable mechanic. The safety of your car largely depends on your ability to find a good and a reliable mechanic. A dishonest mechanic may pose a serious danger to the safety of your car. In conclusion, never take the safety condition of your car for granted. It is high time all motorists took the responsibility to make our roads safer by ensuring that their cars are in good safety condition while making use of the road. A car as it were was invented and made for our own advantage and since then, the use of cars has become a valuable asset to the society. Therefore, the need to make our roads safer through a safe vehicle is not negotiable.

Classes of Transport Operations in Overland Transportation

Increase in vehicle ownership has increased road traffic activities and the convenience for many people to travel at will at any time. Transport operation provides great support to the national economy, quality of life, national defense, rural and urban development. Proper management of road transport operations by the fleet manager is not only significant in saving the cost of operations, but also reduces the high accident rate that is likely caused by poor transport management. Road transport operations are determined by transport demand for different types of goods produced by different industries and the need for each individual to move from one area to another. However, efficient operations in road transportation is key to the growth and profitability of many industries in any given country. Nevertheless, here are the classes of road transport operations:

Short Distance Transport Operation
Long Distance Transport Operation
National Transport Operation
International Transport Operation.

Short Distance Transport Operation This is the movement by road transportation within the region that is close to people or things. Long Distance Transport Operation This is the movement by road transportation with spatial remoteness from one place to another. This is usually defined by travel time or the time spent to cover a particular journey i.e. (between origin and destination). National Transport Operation This is the movement of people or things within the nation. The road transport operations within or across a country plays inevitable role in developing a nation. Therefore, national operation in road transportation is the road network or link within and beyond the boundaries of different states within a country. International Transport Operation This refers to road transportation across the borders. The need for road transportation across the borders cannot be overemphasized when you consider the need for global economic expansion. Road transportation has been a major tool for expanding business activities across borders, mostly in African countries where the cost of taking a flight may be a serious challenge to small and medium business owners. Indeed, the economic growth between two or more neighbouring countries depends largely on international transport operations. This explains the thought of transport expert, Maciulis (2009), that ‘… Better transport infrastructure is the core element for business expansion.’ (p. 94) In conclusion: Road transport operation is an inevitable part of our existence in the society; it has the potential to determine our lifestyle, our business locations, residential locations and our business activities at large. Undoubtedly, it is a potential means of developing a nation.

Road Accident by Circumstance: A Negative Side for Road Users

Road accident is one of the major dangerous occurrences with great magnitude affecting the social and economic prosperity of a nation. The lives of many innocent road users have been lost in road accidents, many others sustained permanent injury while many others involved in road accidents suffered financial loss and damages. For instance, in 2013, about 54 million people in the world sustained injury from road accidents (Wikipedia). However, it is sad and important to know that road accidents are caused by human errors, yet there are motorists or drivers who were involved in road accidents caused by errors of other road users or motorists. Such are victims of accident by circumstance; they are the drivers that found themselves in road accidents beyond their control. These drivers are not at fault at any point in time, they did not overlook the traffic rules, and they are just victims of road accidents by the virtue of their presence at the scene of the accident caused by the error of someone else. Road rage exhibited by some motorists has caused many innocent drivers to be victims of road accident. It is painful and highly unacceptable to see an innocent driver who obeys traffic rules and also maintains safety consciousness while making use of the road to be a victim of road accident caused by another driver’s error. For instance, the statistics from National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Auto Vantage revealed that 66% of traffic fatalities are caused by aggressive driving. I use this medium to advise all motorists to be safety conscious and to think twice each time the need arises to make safety decisions while driving on the road, because it is morally unacceptable in any part of the world to make innocent, law abiding road users victims of road accident due to the error of another man. It is, therefore, much important to get home safely than to make an innocent man a victim of unwanted road accident.

5 Features that make the use of Motorbike Popular

The utility value for motorbike explains why millions of people around the world at large make use of motorcycles for their mobility. Its ability to access most rural areas with poor road infrastructures also explains the wide use of the two-wheel vehicle in our environment. However, the following are features that make a motorcycle full of fun: It is faster Some motorbikes are designed with exceptional speed that make them move faster on the road. In addition, the size of the motorcycle also makes it possible for the cyclists to manoeuvre their way out whenever there is traffic hold up. It is less expensive The price of purchasing a motorbike is less expensive when you compare it with the price of a car. The pride of owning a motorbike with lesser amount of money makes it popular. It is easy to maintain Purchasing a vehicle is not as important as maintaining it consistently. Maintaining a car is far more expensive than maintaining a motorcycle. Fuel management One of the benefits of using a motorcycle is that it consumes lesser fuel to cover a reasonable journey when you compare it with a motor vehicle, since it has greater fuel economy. Hence, many motorcyclists judiciously use their fuel to cover reasonably long journeys, and this is what motorcyclists enjoy when they make use of the two-wheel vehicle, they spend lesser amount of money on fuel. It is flexible The ability to use a motorcycle in different roads that are not motorable or accessible to other vehicles is another benefit of owning a motorcycle. The owner enjoys the ability to access different places that are difficult to access by car. US Department of Transportation revealed that the number of fatalities of vehicle per mile travelled was 37 times higher for motorbike than motor car. In other words, there’s high number of death in road accident involving motorbikes per mile covered, far more than motor cars. No matter how much fun a ride is, let it be known to you that you are not safe when you ride a bike, so don’t throw safety to the winds when you ride.

5 Features that make the use of Motorbike Dangerous

Motorcycle or motorbike is a machine with two wheels that is used to move limited number of two people from one location to another with the attachment of small size space to carry goods. The risk associated with the use of motorcycles cannot be overemphasized, in fact, riding motorcycles on public roads is a great risk. For instance, the Department of Transportation in Illinois, USA, revealed in 2011 that there were 3,756 motorcycle crashes which claimed the lives of 145 motorcyclists while 3,020 cyclists were injured. The use of motorcycles is becoming more popular these days, most especially in Africa where millions of people who are financially unable to buy and maintain a car or vehicle buy a motorcycle for their mobility. ‘Easy to maintain’ as benefit of using a motorcycle and its flexibility also contribute to its wide use around the world. Several people in rural areas where good roads are not available, prefer the use of motorcycles because of its flexibility. Despite its popularity as a means of transport around the world, this is not enough to deny the fact that motorbike is the most dangerous overland transport that has claimed the lives of many people in road accidents while many others have sustained permanent injuries caused by motorbike accidents. However, here are the dangerous features of motorbikes: It exposes the users to any minor accident The use of motorbike lacks personal safety for the users; the users are exposed to any potential impact while they make use of the road. Any time there’s an accident, the motorbike operators have no visible object that can protect them in such a time. This explains why road accidents involving motorbikes are always serious if not fatal. It exposes the users to any form of severe weather conditions The users of motorbikes are also not protected from harsh weather conditions such as rain, hot weather, harmattan, violent wind, dust and fire. They are exposed to all kinds of weather conditions that can adversely affect their health. Unsuitable for family mobility Due to limited space for passengers, motorbike is not the best transport means for family mobility or a group of people. Overloading of passengers on a motorbike is dangerous. Motorbike an easy reach for thieves Men of the underworld often find it much easier to steal motorbikes with little time and effort. The cases of stolen motorbikes are more common these days than stolen vehicles. Aggressive motorists can easily override motorbike operators Since motorbike operators and motorists share the same road, hence, the motorbike operator’s right of using the road can be overridden with impunity by an angry motorist while using the road. So, oftentimes motorbikes are at the mercy of the motorist. Conclusion Riding a motorbike can be fun and interesting but the personal safety of the user is more important. Riding a motorbike is not 100 per cent safe for the user, it is the most dangerous overland transport. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveals that 80% of motorbike accidents result in either permanent injury or death. Therefore, when you ride, be safety conscious.

Plug-in Electric Vehicles Becoming More Popular

Image result for picture of plug in vehicle

The electric vehicle is becoming more popular these days in developed countries. Most developed nations now allow and encourage the use of plug-in-electric vehicles instead of conventional vehicles that pollute the environment, for instance, the global successive sales of plug-in electric vehicles reached 5 million in 2018. (Wikipedia) Many users of electric vehicle find it more economical than the conventional vehicle which has high cost of maintenance. Here are some countries that allow the use of electric vehicles: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and United States. (Wikipedia) There is no gainsaying that, electric vehicles are used in many nations, though they are expensive, yet they are cost effective and easier to maintain than conventional vehicles and more importantly, they are safer for our environment.

5 Longest Notable Highways in the World

Part of Pan-America Highway

Highway is the major road that connects cities, towns, communities and villages in a given environment. It is usually used for the effective and safe transportation of people and goods over a long distance. Before a highway is constructed in an area, there are factors that are being considered such as expected traffic flow, pavement thickness, intersection or interchange design, maintenance, economic and social benefits, environmental impact assessment, and safety among others. However, here are the five notable highways in the world:

The Pan-American Highway

People believe that this highway is the longest in the world. For instance, Wikipedia wrote that the network of the highway in North America is close to 48, 000 km in length. The highway cuts across nations, towns and communities. The highway is a major road network that links two continents: North America and South America together, thereby cutting across different countries such as US, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama in North America while in South America it links Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Argentina. The Pan-American Highway is about 15,000 miles.

Australia’s Highway 1

Australia is not just a nation but a continent on its own. Since a highway stands as a major road network linking communities or towns together in an environment, hence, the Australia Highway 1 plays this specific role linking major state capitals across the nation. The Australia Highway 1 connects all the states in Australia from Capital Territory to New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland and Tasmania. The total length of the Highway 1 is estimated to be 14,500 km which is about 9,000 miles. It is known to be the longest national highway in the world.

Trans-Siberian Highway in Russia

Russia is a very large and developed country with one of the longest highways in the world. The highway covers not less than 10,000 kilometres from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok and is popularly known as the Trans-Siberian Highway, although the name is yet to be acknowledged by the authorities. The said highway is made up of different roads which include: M10 Russia highway; M5 Ural highway; Irtysh highway; Siberia highway; Baikal highway; Amur highway; and Ussuri highway.

Trans-Canada Highway in Canada

It is a national highway in Canada that passes through the 10 provinces of Canada, with a length of 7,821 km which is about 4,860 miles. The Trans-Canada Highway is usually abbreviated to TCH or T-Can. The national highway passes through major cities such as: Victoria, Vancouver, Abbotsford, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Greater Sudbury, Peterborough, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Charlottetown, Fredericton, Moncton, Sydney, and St. John’s.

The Golden Quadrilateral Highway in India

This is national highway in India with 5,846 kilometres which is about 3,633 miles road network that links 4 major Indian metropolitan cities. This explains why it was named Golden Quadrilateral, these cities are: Delhi (North), Chennai (South), Kolkata (East) and Mumbai (West). The highway is the largest road project completed in India and the 5^th longest highway in the world. It is also important to note that the GQ highway links all the 13 states in India and it is only the national highway in India. The importance of the highway cannot be overemphasized. Apart from the fact that it provides smooth and faster transport links to cities, ports, industries, India’s cultural centres among others, it also boosts industrial development and job creation. The GQ provides access or connection to the following major cities in India which include: New Delhi, Jaipur, Udaipur, Ajmer (Rajasthan); Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar (Gujarat); Mathura, Varanasi, Agra, Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh); Mumbai and Pune (Maharashtra); Bangalore (Karnataka); Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh); Chennai (Tamil Nadu); Bhubaneswar (Orissa), Kolkata (West Bengal), etc.

Electric cars being charged with electric public charger

Electric Cars and Its Notable Benefits

Electric cars are the vehicles that rely on rechargeable battery as source of energy instead of fuel as we have in the conventional car. Since the discovery and advent of electric cars, notable improvements have been made to make electric vehicles more efficient and suitable than the conventional car. It is also important to note that these days, there is an increase in the number of electric cars used in the world due to the huge benefits the users enjoy with electric vehicles. Benefits of Electric Automobile

The operation cost is low because recharging a battery is cheaper when compared with the much money spent on fuel, engine oil, brake oil, etc. that are consumed by conventional vehicles.
The maintenance cost is low when you compare it to conventional car with internal combustion engine.
It is environmental friendly. The electric vehicle helps to reduce carbon emission into the air.
It reduces the likely health problems that are often caused by petrol and diesel powered vehicles.
Electric automobile is designed in the interest of road safety when you compare it to fuel or diesel powered vehicles, e.g. fire explosion.
It reduces high dependence on imported diesel or petrol.
The fully recharged battery may power the vehicle longer than refueling the conventional car.
The electric car is more efficient than the conventional car.

Electric vehicles are efficient, ecological and also economical to use.

Moving from Fossil Fuel Automobile to Electric Automobile

Image result for pictures of electric cars

Toyota Electric car charging its battery. First and foremost, electric car is an electric vehicle that makes use of rechargeable batteries to move the object in a particular direction through one or more electric motors. The electric vehicle is cost effective when compared to other vehicles. In a bid towards zero-emission vehicles, automobile companies have begun to produce electric vehicles in large numbers. For instance, in 2015, RAV4 EV second generation model sold 2,489 units in California in the United States. By September, 2017, Tesia sold over 250,000 electric vehicles globally; in October 2017, Renault, Nissan, and Mitsubishi sold over 500,000 electric vehicles, etc. With the increase in the number of electric vehicles sold, there will be charging stations for the public where electric automobiles can be charged. Nissan Automobile is an example of automobile company producing electric cars in the world e.g. Nissan Leaf, Toyota Rav4 electric vehicle, etc. As at 2018, not less than 5.3 million electric vehicles and plug-in electric vehicles were in use throughout the world. Several nations are now planning to stop the use of fossil oil and diesel powered automobiles in the nearest future. Such countries include Norway by 2025; China by 2030; India by 2030; Germany by 2030; France by 2040 and Britain by 2040. However, there are electric vehicles that use other sources of energy, for instance, there’s an electric vehicle that uses solar panel as the source of its energy, it is called solar car.

5 Safety Tips for Your Car Tyre

Destroyed blown out tire with exploded, shredded and damaged tire on a modern automobile. damaged truck rubber after tire explosion at high speed. Damaged flat tires: old car.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveals that over 700 people die every year in road accidents caused by tyre failure. In addition, The National Transportation Safety Board reveals that more than 500 people die while about 19,000 people are injured every year in auto crashes related to tyre failure.However, as motorist here are the safety tips you need to know:

Do not delay to replace your tyre, if it is worn out
Reduce your speed during rain or wet weather
Do not overload your vehicle
Carry out regular checks on your vehicle alignment
Check your tyre pressure at least twice in a month and more importantly before a long journey.

All motorists are advised through this platform to take the issue of tyre safety more serious.

Railway Accident in 2018

In recent years railway transportation has witnessed a phenomenal growth and success in its operations. Its unique qualities and benefits over other modes of public transport contribute to its big success. Many passengers prefer to make use of rail transport for their long and short journeys because it is reliable, faster, economical and also free from heavy traffic. For instance, for both long-distance and sub-urban routes, Indian Railway (IR) operates more than 20,000 passenger trains daily across India. (https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Indian_Railways) It is also estimated in India that an average 30 million passengers make use of railway transport every day. ( https://www.quora.com › On-average-how-many-people-are-on-the-go-in-a-) According to Wikipedia, in 2018 Amtrak served 31.7 million passengers. With the given figures, it is clear that millions of people around the world make use of railway transport daily. Likewise, rail transport can also be used to move bulk of goods or large percentage of cargoes around the world daily. For instance, between 2012 and 2013, India Railway moved 1,010 million tons of cargo while in 2017, 1,106 billion tons of goods were moved in India (Wikipedia). In Canada in 2018, 34.7 million tons of freight were moved by rail transport (October 2018- Statistics Canada). In 2017, Germany Railway moved 400 million tons of cargoes (The Federal Statistical Office). Needless to say that rail transport plays two key roles as over-land public transport in moving cargo and people in large numbers. However, despite these two key roles and the fact that railway transport is free from traffic jam, yet, it is not free from accidents. Here are rail accidents in 2018:

On 16^th October 2018, close to Bouknadel area in Morocco, a passenger train derailed; not more than 7 people died and 125 people were injured.
On 19^th October 2018, at the eastern outskirts of Amritsar, Punjab, two Indian passenger trains ran into a gathering of people who came together on the railway track to witness Hindu celebration of Dussehra; not less than 59 people were killed while not less than 100 people were injured.
On 4^th October 2018, two trains collided in Cayce, South Carolina, of Columbia. Amtrak Silver Star passenger train from New York City collided with stationary CSX Transportation freight train; 2 people were killed while 116 people were injured.
In 2018, Corlu train in Turkey derailed; 24 people died and 276 were injured while 42 people were seriously injured.
On 31^st January 2018, an accident occurred at Lanetown Road in Crozet when the Amtrak train known as Congressional Special Train 923 collided with a refuse disposal van at a level crossing. No death or serious injury was recorded.
On 4^th January 2018, a train in South Africa derailed after it collided with a truck at a level crossing at Ceneva Station. It was noted that after the derailment, 7 out of the 12 coaches were burnt. However, 21 people were killed in the accident while 254 passengers were injured.
On 13^th December 2018, a passenger train collided with a locomotive train in an area close to Yenimahalie in Ankara Province, Turkey. At the occurrence of the accident, 9 people died and 84 people were injured.
On 12^th February 2018, two trains collided in Austria at Niklasdorf. The coaches of the two trains derailed leading to the death of a passenger while 22 passengers were injured.
On 20^th September 2018, a train collided at a level crossing with a Stint cart at Oss, North Brabant, Netherlands. The occupants of the cart were children; four of them died in the accident while two of them were seriously injured.
On 25^th January 2018, a passenger train derailed in Pioltello. Three people died in the accident while 100 people were injured.
On 21^st October 2018, a train derailed in Taiwan in an area known as Yilan County. The rail accident killed 18 people and injured 187 passengers.
On 24^th July 2018, a railway accident in India at St Thomas Mount Station on Chennai Beach- Tambaram section killed 5 people and injured 4 people. The accident occurred when a wall hit the passenger hanging on the train doors.

Railway accident is often traceable to human error, therefore, safety must not be underestimated in railway operations.

Transformational Road Safety Education for Teens

Image result for picture showing tenegers crossing the road

According to a worldwide report, over 3,000 adolescents die every day. In Britain in 2015, road accidents killed 145 people aged 10 to 19 and left 3,166 more seriously injured (BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/health-39920052 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/ras30-reported-casualties-in-road-accidents#table-ras30028). According to Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 2,715 teenage drivers aged between 13 and 19 died in road accidents in 2015. More so, 2,927 teenagers died in road accidents in 2013. (https://www.aceable.com/safe-driving/teen-car-crash-statistics-2/) Road transportation is the highest killer of teenagers in the world (https://www.bbc.com/news/health-39920052). Looking at the rate of road accidents in our contemporary world, mostly in developing countries, it may be difficult to see another mode of transport that will claim the lives of many innocent people, sending them to their early grave as it is in road transportation. Road transportation is inevitable to all as we are all road users. Therefore, there is the need to confront the problem of high rate of road accidents sending the teens to their early grave, with the kind of road safety education that will develop the skills to make use of the road safely and to develop road safety consciousness at their early age. It is important to design model transformational road safety education for the teens that will be taught throughout their school periods, so the whole mind of the child can develop the skills to consider safety first when making use of the road. The more we teach our children road safety education, the more important it becomes for them to make use of the road safely. When we start to educate the teens on road safety as a subject in their schools, and with a growing understanding of road safety, this will allow acute focus and concentration whenever they are making use of the road, mostly with the kids that go to nearby schools without any adult accompanying them. This kind of model education from primary to secondary school will create waking consciousness in them, whenever they attempt to use the road. Without an element of doubt, schools can be used through transformational road safety education to reduce high rate of road accidents affecting quite a number of teenagers, sending them to their early grave at their tender age. It is high time we realized the importance of using the classrooms to model a civilized society on road safety, where a community of responsible teenagers are raised with a mindset of zero tolerance to high rate of road accidents. Hence, the saying ‘Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.’

Sea Transport: A means for industrial growth

sea transport

Marine transportation is undoubtedly boosting the growth of industry in the world. The mode is used for transporting the largest number of cargoes or containers across the globe more than any other modes, Millions of containers are moved across the sea virtually every day and no other mode of transport can match its capacity. Import and export of goods in large numbers around the world are made possible to a large extent through sea transportation. The efficacy of maritime transport to increase the growth of industries in the world cannot be underestimated. Industries producing different items in large quantities would prefer their products to be carried to where they are needed beyond their geographical locations. To achieve this purpose transport by sea is a better option than air transport in terms of capacity and affordability. Sea transport is highly cost effective and most importantly its capacity to carry heavy loads or bulk cargoes than any other mode in international transport cannot be overemphasized. Maritime transportation plays an important role in the industrial revolution of any nation and today, world trade growth record cannot be divorced from the impact of sea transportation. However, here are the ways that sea transport has contributed to the growth of industry in the world:

It boosts trade expansion on alarge scale.
It gives consumersthe benefit of having access to products that are produced by other nations.
It is cheaper, thereby reducing the transportation cost that would have increased the cost of production.
Regular and efficient maritime transportation is a means to reducing congestion at the sea port. In other words, it can be used to reduce congestion at the sea port.
It boosts the nation’s
It creates room for globalization. Marine transportation moves larger goods or cargoes from one continent or nation to another.
Sea transportation serves as a complement to other modes of transport. Sea ports often serve as a point of loading and off-loading of cargoes.
Maritime transport plays a key role in the globalized market. Global freight transportation is a critical element to industrial growth.

Base on the roles sea transport plays in industrial development, it is clear that it is a mode that enhances economic prosperity and quality of life.

Global Transport and Logistics

Transport and logistics from around the world.