EVOLUTION OF TRANSPORTATION IN NIGERIA PART 1
INTRODUCTION TO EVOLUTIONARY TRENDS
Evolutionary eras are the different periods of years at which level of economic activities including transportation development changed from one stage or level to another, recording reasonable positive growth and development in the society at any given time and place. Historically, there are recorded evolutionary trends. Evolution of transportation is directly related to the evolution of other economic activities because of the dependability of economic activities on transport. However, it can be said that transport started early as far back as the pre-industrial revolution era which continued to develop from one period to another over the years until this 21st century. Historians have categorised transport evolutionary developmental stages (trends) into five (5) major periods including:
1. Period I - Pre-industrial Revolution Era (Pre 1800s)
2. Period II - Industrial Revolution Era (1800-1870)
3. Period III - Post Industrial Revolution Era (1870-1920)(Modern Transport Systems I)
4. Period IV - Post Industrial Revolution Era 2 (1920-1920)(Fordist Era)
5. Period V - Posl Industrial Revolution Era 3 (1970-till date)(Post Fordist Era).
PRE-INDUSTRIAL EVOLUTION ERA (1800s)
- No form mechanical or motorized transportion was existing.
- Transport effort was by land and by water and local technology was more on how to harness animal labour on land and wind for maritime transport.
- Speed of transport provided was very low, between 8 and 15km per hour by horse.
- Quality of goods and people moved was very limited.
- Movement by water was slow, though with a speed barely above of the roads.
- Roads were not developed and trading was among people of short distances.
- Waterways provided most efficient transport system then, while towns and villages along the rivers were able to trade more over longer distance.
- People along rivers had opportunity of meeting more traders; maintain political, economic and cultural cohesion with other people from far distances and over large territories.
- As a resuIt of limited transport the supply of perishable agricultural commodities was limited to a radius of 50 kilometers, at most.
- Villages could not develop more than 50km diameters.
- During the period, cities like Beijing, Constantinople, Rome, and Venice were developing but could not expand more than 20 square kilometers, yet they were the largest cities recorded before industrial Revolution Era.
- International trade existed during the pre-industrial era. However, traded commodities were highly-value goods or luxury goods such as Perfume, Wine, Silk, Spices which were popular along the Silk Roads.
- Even from the time BC, transport by road and by water existed. It was noticed that (Inland waterways or sea) as maritime transport was in use.
- Most convenient way to move freight and people from place to place to meet their economic and social needs.
- Before the period 2500 BC ship were propelled by rowers. and around 2500 BC, Sails were added as complementary propulsion form of 'motive power' and such sails were sheets of strong cloth which the winds blew against to make a boat or ship to travel fast through the water.
- This period witnessed the falI of the capital of Byzantium Empire or Eastern Roman Empire to the Turk in I453. This disrupted the traditionaI land trade route of Europeans to Asia.
- New ideas of alternative route to Asia came as a necessity. Europe was forced to find alternative maritime route. During this period, two routes were found including:
1. Christopher Columbus in 1492 sailed to the west and discovered American continent.
2. Vasco Degama in 1497 sailed to the East found a very good maritime route to India through the Cape of Good Hope.
- These new routes created opportunities for Europeans, followed by a wave of European colonization and exploration by Spain, Portugal, Britain, France, and the Netherlands.
- By the earIy 18th century, most of the world's territories had been occupied by Europeans who controlled them, provided wealth and markets to their thriving metropolises through commerce and colonial trade.
- While maritime was growing through very shadowy as French trade via the Saint-Got hard passage (Italy - Switzerland) would not fill a freight train, and the freight by the venation fleet within the Mediterranean trade for years, would not fill a modern Cargo Ship, though volume improved between 15th and 18th centuries, a period under mercantilism.
- As there was problem of land transport in complementing the function of maritime transportation for distribution of goods and movement of people, the idea of Canal Systern started to emerge by the late 18th century in Netherlands and England to encourage fluvial and maritime transportation for the carriage of bulk freight inland and to expand inland trade.
Although there were recorded developments of transport systems during the Pre-Industrial Revolution Era, they were not efficient.
In 1765, Engineer Watt of Britain constructed the first steam engine which were used to pump water out mines but not notified for transport or locomotion. However, this was recorded as the beginning of steam Engine.
In 1769, Engineer Cognate from France built the first self propelled steam vehicle. He also associated with the first automobile accident even recorded.
In 1790, Engineer Fitch of America invented the first mechanically propelled maritime vehicle as a mode of fluvial transportation on the Delaware River.
In 1706, the Turnpike Trusts in Britain made improvements on roads and built the turnpike roads and developed the stage coaches for use on the roads.
This was not sufficient to accommodate the growing demands of freight transportation. It had problems of inadequacy and low speed as the first coach services had speed of about 5.5 mile per hour in 1750s.
From 1760s, the Bridgewater canal was built in emerging industrial core areas as England to enhance freight shipping. This marked the beginning of improved transponation though not efficient to stimulate and facilitate the required economic growth expected of them.