Improving Transnational Transport Corridors
In the OIC Member Countries: Concepts and Cases
23
which intensify movement and trade along certain routes also heightens the risk of spreading
disease as well as foreign species of plant and animals.
Despite the profound impact of communicable diseases transmitted through international
transport on entire populations, the much smaller impact of crime, including terrorism, gets
far more prominence. Criminal activity occurs on transport systems (Easteal and Wilson,
1991) which requires special consideration such as mobile law enforcement and international
cooperation (Woodburn et al., 2008). Globalization has boosted international organized crime
such as drug and human trafficking that utilize main transport routes (Williams, 1994,
Gastrow, 2001). Customs and immigration authorities are vigilant to cross border crimes, in
terms of trade facilitation, unified customs processes (Widdowson, 2007), risk management
and control for revenue protection (Geourjon and Laporte, 2005) and exchange of information
along the supply chain (Mikuriya, 2007) are essential features of improving trade facilitation
along a transport corridor.
Ensuring safety and welfare of citizens is the raison d'être for government, this shared
objective compels the harmonization of operational safety between protagonists. This includes
driving hours, vehicle conditions, axel loading and competence (Harrison, 2000) which
together comprise the critical success factors in providing interconnectivity and
interoperability (Stone, 2008).
Corridor development and performance may be affected by wars, regional conflicts and
tensions. The probability of a major conflict occurring between or within countries that work,
trade and communicate continuously with each other are minimal compared to those that are
separated and isolated. Trade security lies at the heart of corridor development. Having said
this, should conflicts arise that disturb the flow of trade, then traders are, of course, seriously
affected. In such cases, normally insured risks cease to be valid in times of war. Where
blockages do interrupt the normal flow of goods, invariably there are more circuitous routes
and alternative means that can be used. Southern Africa was a case in hand where war
threatened with South Africa due to its apartheid regime in the 1980s. In this case traders got
together to set up alternative routes and means and, where necessary, travelled in convoy and
employed security forces provide protection. Where a corridor passes through a war zone,
such in South East Europe in the 1990’s for the one linking Turkey with Europe, then
alternative routes and modes were expedited. In Algeria, its borders with Morocco have been
closed for many years due to dispute and alternatives have been developed. Traders are very
inventive, ‘necessity is the mother invention’ so it is said, and this applies very much to the
world of trade.
2.9. Technical and Operational Factors
Logistic services on corridors
According to (Banomyong and Faust, 2010), the development of logistics services and
communication technologies has revolutionized production and distribution processes and
created a ‘global’ market. Shippers and consignees require efficient logistics services that can