Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Geography & Environmental Studies

Faculty/School

Faculty of Arts

First Advisor

Alfred Hecht

Advisor Role

Thesis Supervisor

Abstract

Transportation has been considered in the discipline of geography largely within the context of distance and cost constraints, particularly with reference to industrial location decision-making processes. These costs are easily-quantifiable and measurable, and transportation geographers have tended to depend upon distance and tariff costs as the major transportation inputs in locational decision-making processes.

This dependency upon cost considerations is no longer evident in the real world. The priorities of the consignors (shippers) and consignees (customers) have shifted lately, and these distance and cost considerations are now examined in conjunction with such qualitative priorities as frequency of the consistency and reliability of service, with the result that it is no longer sufficient to deal only with distance and tariff costs when assessing transportation variations over space.

Very little work has been done on transportation services, particularly with reference to their impact upon industrial location problems. This research is an attempt at providing some evaluation of the qualitative aspects of transportation. It utilizes the indexing method in order to relate the various qualities of transportation services at various centres. The findings from the evaluation can be applied to regional development planning, and the evaluation technique can be used by the individual entrepreneur in an effort to determine the most advantaged centres in terms of the quality of transportation services available.

Convocation Year

1977

Download

Share

COinS