‘The Tortoise and the Economy’

Abstract

This article examines the fluctuating economic significance of inland waterway transport (IWT) since the beginnings of industrialization in what are now the developed economies of Europe and North America. The author notes that it was mainly during the 18th and 19th centuries that the principal European economies experienced the greatest growth in IWT. Topics covered include the use of rivers and canals; the significance of IWT innovation (primarily canals and channeling of rivers); continuity and independence between IWT and other modes of transport (notably railroads); canals as a proponent of the carriage of high bulk/low dispersion commodities, for example, coal; the British industrial revolution as a regional phenomenon and the rise of canals after the industrial revolution was established; limitations of IWT, including low speed, little security, and vulnerability to weather; the social savings versus private profit gained by IWT; the role of governmental support of IWT; IWT in 19th century Paris and other parts of France; IWT development in Germany and in the United States; the Panama Canal; the construction of non-isthmian ship canals; changes in IWT after the first and second World Wars; modern opinions about the IWT sector, including benefits of low operating costs, high level of safety, and low environmental impact; and recent trends in IWT in the United States and in Europe. The author concludes that in the age of the steam and internal combustion engines, when road and rail had boosted their speed and capacity, IWT seemed condemned to be the tortoise of the transport world. This intensified the original characteristics of the mode and confined it more rigidly to the carriage of non-perishable, low-value goods whose journey time was not critical. However, technology has now been applied from advanced areas of the modern economy, as computers are used in loading, balancing, navigation, and logistical planning. There has also been some upgrading of the types of freight carried. The author cautions that unless public support continues and increases, the IWT sector will receive relatively little of the market share and will not flourish.