Convergence of Transportation Congestion and Security at U.S. seaports
Introduction
The convergence of transport congestion and security at U.S sea ports is quite alarming. Prevalent transport congestion tends to restrain operations at the marine depots. The shipping companies are forced to interrupt the regular loading and offloading of cargo vessels for either night or weekend shifts. Occasional traffic congestion block the berths and the inbound ships find themselves stacked up leading to a delay of transportation of cargo loads. U.S sea ports security has been viewed as an important subject by the U.S homeland security. The Bureau of Customs and Border overseas the security of the U.S ports security. It has viewed that the terrorists have significantly targeted the container ships due to vulnerability attached to them.
For a long period, the Americans have suffered traffic congestion and security at U.S ports such as Los Angeles. The lack of transparency in ship registration has been a major barrier to curb insecurity in U.S ports. Poor registration has assisted the terrorists to maintain their participation in open vessels activities. Sometimes the terrorists register their ships using fictitious corporates identities and repainting the ships. Since time immemorial, traffic congestion and security in U.S ports have hit the headlines on the agenda of the U.S ports authority stakeholders. Although there is no exact time when the issue of ports security and congestion began, the effects associated with it is significant.
In the recent times, shipping lines have begun using the Asia-US east coast-Panama and Suez Canal route to ease the transport convergence experienced in US ports currently. Numerous Americans depend on the trans-pacific to illustrate the congestion of the ships in the ports.
There is a need to understand the importance of improving transport congestion and port security in the U.S ports (Keefer, 2007). The benefits associated with improving this issue are decrease in cargo theft, narcotic and migrant smuggling, trade law violations and improved economic performance. The thesis statement of the paper will discuss the situation of the convergence of transport congestion and security in U.S ports.
Objectives of the study
Literature review
Background
According to Simões & Marques (2010), increased rates in cargo transportation has not certainly matched an improvement in product efficiency. Seaports are prone to the congestion marvel. The authors assert that increased inputs lead to decreased outputs. Institutional reforms have led to seaports evolution (Simões & Marques, 2010). Currently, the attention given to seaports is attributed to the use of containerized transportation as a result of international shipping. Recently, US seaports have noted an increased heavy traffic of goods and passengers (ibid). The congestion at the seaports has resulted in technical inefficiencies and lack of proper security at the ports. The technical inefficiency and the problem of security have resulted to the urge of expanding the seaports to reduce the congestion.
The state of security at U.S seaports
Transportation congestion and security at the U.S seaports goes in handy. Price (2004) argues that transportation congestion creates numerous routes for terrorist attacks at seaports terminals. Terror suspects can take the advantage of the following routes to cause havoc; inland waterways, seaport terminals, and pipelines for entry of goods (Price, 2004). When congestion is closely monitored, terrorists can access and destroy people, seaports infrastructure, or even ship facilities (ibid). As a result, the economic activity of the area will be disrupted, and the government will be affected to a great extent.
Security risks: Both natural and manmade
Seaports are exposed to natural and human disasters due to increased congestion. This has resulted from hazardous cargo, climatic and geographic happenings, or even complicated technologies. The seaports are exposed to explosions, hurricanes, earthquakes, flooding, or even infrastructural problems (Price, 2004). It is regretful to note that the government has failed to develop actions to control the natural of human-caused factors that increase security risks at seaports. In most incidences, the risk of disasters is mitigated at the time of the threat, but there are no long-term solutions to the problem. Also, congestion at the seaports releases toxic substances that cause detrimental health effects to the population.
Agencies responsible for securing to seaports
Willard Price provides a comprehensive analysis of the terror incidences at US seaports. In his article, Price assets that seaports are acknowledged as top terrorists’ targets (Price, 2004). As a result, responsible agencies are expected to work on resolving the issue by implementing security measures to curb the situation (Johnston, 2004). The agencies that are charged with the responsibilities to handle the situation include state and federal agencies, local ports, the Corps of Engineers, the US Coast Guard, the USDOT, the Maritime Administration, and the DHS amongst others. According to Johnston (2004) to secure the seaports from terrorism, a multiplicity of measures are taken, and this comprises the prevention, detection, response, and recovery. The congestion at the seaports is prevalent because it is used as an intermodal transportation system. Effective strategies are fundamental to guarantee the safety of the port and elimination of fear in the population.
Solutions to the problem
Transportation congestion affects the security of U.S seaports and solutions to handle the problem are provided
The sea infrastructure must be expanded so that it can handle the influx of goods and passengers without causing congestion at the port
A panel of security experts should investigate the probability of terror events via routes that can be used by the terrorist and develop strategies to prevent accessibility
Public-private partnerships should work together to identify the specific actions and the people in charge of accomplishing the above objective
Discussion of your ideas on the topic and problem
The topic of convergence of traffic congestion and security can be discussed based on the advantages and disadvantages attached to it. The subject is bound to bring a lot of disadvantages on the American economy. The increase in traffic congestion poses higher probability of accidents between ships, boats, and ferries. Additionally, wasted fuel on ships and ferries emits hazardous smoke which triggers air pollution and carbon dioxide levels. Carbon monoxide is the bases of global warming on the planet currently. Consistent delays lead to poor job performance and rotting of exported perishable products such as flowers. Besides, persistent wastage of this precious time is viewed as an economic liability issue.
Conclusion
As explicated above, the convergence of transport congestion and security in U.S ports is a major issue as it is discussed by the US Congress. The recent implications it has heard on the American economy reveals that quick and sound solutions should be formulated at once. I believe that this issue is a national debate, and hence, the cooperation between the government, the public and the national ports authority is a necessity to curb the situation.
References
Johnston, V. R. (2004). Transportation Security and Terrorism: Resetting the Model and Equations—Epilogue. Review of Policy research, 21(3), 397-402.
Keefer, W. J. (2007). Container port security: A layered defense strategy to protect the homeland and the international supply chain. Campbell L. Rev., 30, 139.
Price, W. (2004). Reducing the Risk of Terror Events at Seaports1. Review of Policy Research, 21(3), 329-349.
Simões, P., & Marques, R. C. (2010). Influence of congestion efficiency on the European seaports performance: Does it matter?. Transport Reviews, 30(4), 517-539.
