Intermodal Transportation

Government Involvement in Intermodal Transportation
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Institution

Government Involvement in Intermodal Transportation
Intermodal transportation is important as it lowers transportation costs of a country. Using rail and trucks will save on the cost of fuel. Additionally, intermodal transportation is environmentally friendly since there are fewer carbon emissions. The government intervention to regulates the number of hours’ trucks should be on the load lead to the shift to intermodal transportation (Yevdokimov, 2000). Americans spend more money on transportation than on other activities such as clothing and recreation. Freight transportation impacts the US economy. Therefore, the government should be the drivers for innovation in the intermodal transportation. This is to avoid the limit of delivering these innovations which have been there in a free market economy. Thus, I concur with the author.
The government has been involved in the development of nuclear power. Their involvement in the nuclear power reduced the cost of capital than that of the private investors and developers. Additionally, government regulations limit the number of nuclear plants opened in America. This is to prevent private investors from exhausting all the nuclear resources and displacing more people (National Economic Council, 2011). Likewise, in intermodal transportation, the government involvement will eliminate the obstacles and create favorable conditions for movement of goods. The government will also facilitate implementation of improving programs and policies that promote innovation in the transportation sector.

The thriving of trade and commerce of America will encourage the prosperity of the transport industry. Transportation encourages the movement of people and goods across nations globally. A strong commitment and vision are necessary to ensure the expansion of the intermodal transportation which will increase global competitiveness. Government is responsible for the development of new technology in the department of defense. This is limit access of destructive weapons to the hands of the private sector to enhance the security of the nation. The American citizens are safe when the government is in charge of security. Hence, allowing the government to spur improvements in intermodal transport industry will benefit the people (Boske, 1998). This is because private developers will be limited from exploiting the people by charging high prices and delivering poor services.

References
Boske, L. B. (1998). Multimodal/Intermodal Transportation in the United States, Western Europe, and Latin America: Governmental Policies, Plans, and Programs, PRP 130. LBJ School of Public Affairs.
National Economic Council. (2011). A Strategy for American Innovation: Driving towards Sustainable Growth and Quality Jobs. National Economic Council. Retrieved 8 April 2014 from http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/nec/StrategyforAmericanInnovationYevdokimov, Y. V. (2000). Measuring economic benefits of intermodal transportation. Transp. LJ, 27, 439.