Water transport refers to that transport which is done on water; this transport is used mainly by companies for commercial purpose for carrying goods which are of bulky nature and seldom used by human beings for travelling from one place to another as it is a slow means of transport and people prefer railways or airways for traveling from one place to another, given below are some of the important characteristics of water transport –
Characteristics of Water Transport
Slow
The first and foremost feature of water transport is that it is a very slow means of transport as ships and boats tend to move slowly as compared to other means of transport like road, railway and air transport and that is the reason why if your priority is speedy transportation from one place to another then you should take other means of transportation rather than taking water transportation.
Highly affected by Weather Conditions
Another feature of water transportation is that it is highly affected by weather conditions because if sea is rough due to bad weather than ships or boats cannot move as there is a risk of ship sinking due to bad weather and hence unlike other means of transport which are least affected by bad weather, water transportation remains highly affected by tough weather conditions.
Cheap
It is comparatively cheap means of transport as far as transportation of bulky goods are concerned and that is the reason why companies which have to transport bulky goods from one place to another prefer to use this mode of transport even if it means the delay in reaching of goods from one place to another.
Large Capacity
It can carry large containers as well as cargo from one place to another over long distances which is not possible in case of air transport and companies who regularly sends bulky and large consignments from one country to another use this mode of transport for sending their consignments.
Not Available Everywhere
Water transport is feasible only for those places where there is sea or river because ships and boats do not run on roads or air rather they require water, in simple words unlike road transport which is present in every corner of the country water transportation is not available everywhere and that is the reason why it is not used as extensively as other means of transport.
Need Help of Other Transports
Water transport alone is not sufficient because goods are first loaded as well as unloaded on ports and from there goods are transported to warehouses of the companies with the help of road or rail transport. In simple words without the help of other means of transport water transportation will not be able to achieve the goal of transferring goods and people from one place to another.
As one can see from the above characteristics of water transportation that it is not suitable for everyone and that is the reason why any company or individual thinking of taking this mode of transport for traveling or transporting goods from one place to another should read above characteristics and then take the decision.