ABSTRACT
Introduction In Chapter 2, some of the broad issues relating to the impact of technological change in international transport were introduced, with reference to the examples of containerisation in the sea freight market and safety standards in international civil aviation. Not only do such changes have potentially significant employment implications (usually negative because of the labour-saving nature of much new technology) but the investment costs may be substantial. Moreover, poorer countries frequently have little choice in the matter because Northern countries adopt these technologies and international organisations dominated by them set safety or technology standards-with the best of motives-which preclude gradual or partial adoption. If poor Southern countries wish to participate in the respective freight and passenger networks at all, they need to follow suit to a large extent. In the case of unitised sea freight, for example, the only real element of choice would be whether to containerise all ports or only the principal ones, which would then have to act as transshipment and consolidation points for goods from other sources. Such a strategy would add to freight costs and delivery times, perhaps disadvantaging goods thus shipped relative to competing imports and exports from other sources.
