They say God made man and the Dutch made Holland
Rotterdam is the world’s largest seaport and fourth largest in terms of container activity. It is also known as an entreport or europoort, where sea goods from different parts of the world entre and the exports from Europe leave. <br>The Netherlands (also called Holland) is a flat country a quart
By Emmanuel Ngerageze
Rotterdam is the world’s largest seaport and fourth largest in terms of container activity. It is also known as an entreport or europoort, where sea goods from different parts of the world entre and the exports from Europe leave.
The Netherlands (also called Holland) is a flat country a quarter of which is below sea level.
On arrival at Schiphol Airport I was amazed to learn that I was actually 4.5 metres below sea level!
The highest mountain in the Netherlands is 321 meters above sea level. Yet Kisoro District is 3,000 meters above sea level.
Amsterdam, the capital city of Holland, is built on piles! It is amazing how the Dutch have managed to chase away the sea. I now understand the saying, “God made man and the Dutch made Holland!â€
Rotterdam is a European junction for global trade. Just like Mombasa, Rotterdam benefits from its location at the sea, at the mouth of the River Rhine.
I was quick to discover that the port is easily accessible, thanks to its 23 meter deep waterways. For those who remember their geography well, St. Lawrence sea way of America has a chain of rocks. Rotterdam has no rocks.
We took a yacht ride on one of Rhine’s numerous canals. The port has excellent facilities and infrastructure.
The port is ideal point of entry to the European market where hundreds of millions of consumers are served. Rotterdam has the right mix of intermodal transport modes.
Inland shipping is one of the most reliable and cost effective mode of transport ever known. For Rotterdam, vast networks of river and water ways link it to destinations throughout Europe.
We were told by colleagues that transit times vary from less than 1 day to 3 days to Germany, Belgium and Switzerland. Inland shipping can handle almost anything: Bulk cargoes of ore, coal, grain, oil, chemicals, vehicles and containers in substantial quantities.
A 4-barge push unit can carry the equivalent of 385 road trucks and a container vessel some 500 teu (tonnes, equivalent units) said Wouter, a welfare officer at Erasmus University. Try to imagine how the shipping in Portbell in Uganda, compared to the shipping in Rotterdam.
An elderly taxi driver, who picked us from Shiphon Airport said: “Dutch drivers are renowned for their reliability and international orientation.†I remembered Uganda’s drivers. I could not dare mention the same.
I could also tell from the way he drove his 15-seater truck that he was a good driver.
I was able to interview the bus driver said: “Rotterdam has direct access to the extensive and efficient European motor way system spanning all major countries from United Kingdom to Hungary and Scandinavia to Italy.
I was surprised that about 40% of trans-boarder European road transportation is carried out by Dutch hauliers.
He further explained that, road transportation, offers door to door services. Transit times are short – from 8 hours to places such as Frankfurt to 48 hours for destinations such as Moscow, Rome and Stockholm.
The public transport in Rotterdam involves use of buses, trains, trams and metros. You need a public transportation map of the area which is accompanied by schedules. But these maps are not easy to read. These buses are taken from the passenger Central Station where they connect to their destinations. Unlike Uganda, the entire country has been divided into public transportation zones and the fare one pays depends on the number of zones one travels through.
I was a regular user of the tram and bought a one month pass. A tram is a short passenger train destined to a particular station.
Large cities like Rotterdam have subways called metros which are very fast and stop at every station for passengers to enter and leave.
In Rotterdam railway transport is important. There are beautiful trains known as bullet trains.
Railway transport offers fast and reliable transport predominantly over long distances in Europe. All rails lead to Rotterdam. Trade lanes for both maritime and continental cargo link all important European markets with Rotterdam, especially the more distant markets that cannot be reached by inland shipping.
Four hundred cost effective rail shuttle services provide state-of-the-art performance to customers.
There are fifty short-track rail shuttle services within the Netherlands. No where can we put Uganda on this scale.
On the whole the Netherlands has a dense railway network that offers frequent service. It is the quickest way to travel between city centres. The carriages are modern and clean and the tracks usually run on time. In comparison the Uganda railways system is a museum of old railway transport technology.
Rotterdam is a port whose pipeline networks extend from the sea terminals and the Rotterdam based oil companies to a location far in the European hinterland. The pipeline system includes dedicated lines for the transportation of various products. The port is estimated to handle some 50 million tonnes of oil and chemical products annually according a report on its services.
Rotterdam, is the headquarters of Unilever, a multi-national company.
Rotterdam is also a cultural centre serving over 200 European ports.
Can Uganda liven Portbell to the level of Rotterdam?
Will the East African Community ever upgrade Mombasa port to standards of Rotterdam? Only time shall tell.
Rotterdam is the world’s largest seaport and fourth largest in terms of container activity. It is also known as an entreport or europoort, where sea goods from different parts of the world entre and the exports from Europe leave.
The Netherlands (also called Holland) is a flat country a quarter of which is below sea level.
On arrival at Schiphol Airport I was amazed to learn that I was actually 4.5 metres below sea level!
The highest mountain in the Netherlands is 321 meters above sea level. Yet Kisoro District is 3,000 meters above sea level.
Amsterdam, the capital city of Holland, is built on piles! It is amazing how the Dutch have managed to chase away the sea. I now understand the saying, “God made man and the Dutch made Holland!â€
Rotterdam is a European junction for global trade. Just like Mombasa, Rotterdam benefits from its location at the sea, at the mouth of the River Rhine.
I was quick to discover that the port is easily accessible, thanks to its 23 meter deep waterways. For those who remember their geography well, St. Lawrence sea way of America has a chain of rocks. Rotterdam has no rocks.
We took a yacht ride on one of Rhine’s numerous canals. The port has excellent facilities and infrastructure.
The port is ideal point of entry to the European market where hundreds of millions of consumers are served. Rotterdam has the right mix of intermodal transport modes.
Inland shipping is one of the most reliable and cost effective mode of transport ever known. For Rotterdam, vast networks of river and water ways link it to destinations throughout Europe.
We were told by colleagues that transit times vary from less than 1 day to 3 days to Germany, Belgium and Switzerland. Inland shipping can handle almost anything: Bulk cargoes of ore, coal, grain, oil, chemicals, vehicles and containers in substantial quantities.
A 4-barge push unit can carry the equivalent of 385 road trucks and a container vessel some 500 teu (tonnes, equivalent units) said Wouter, a welfare officer at Erasmus University. Try to imagine how the shipping in Portbell in Uganda, compared to the shipping in Rotterdam.
An elderly taxi driver, who picked us from Shiphon Airport said: “Dutch drivers are renowned for their reliability and international orientation.†I remembered Uganda’s drivers. I could not dare mention the same.
I could also tell from the way he drove his 15-seater truck that he was a good driver.
I was able to interview the bus driver said: “Rotterdam has direct access to the extensive and efficient European motor way system spanning all major countries from United Kingdom to Hungary and Scandinavia to Italy.
I was surprised that about 40% of trans-boarder European road transportation is carried out by Dutch hauliers.
He further explained that, road transportation, offers door to door services. Transit times are short – from 8 hours to places such as Frankfurt to 48 hours for destinations such as Moscow, Rome and Stockholm.
The public transport in Rotterdam involves use of buses, trains, trams and metros. You need a public transportation map of the area which is accompanied by schedules. But these maps are not easy to read. These buses are taken from the passenger Central Station where they connect to their destinations. Unlike Uganda, the entire country has been divided into public transportation zones and the fare one pays depends on the number of zones one travels through.
I was a regular user of the tram and bought a one month pass. A tram is a short passenger train destined to a particular station.
Large cities like Rotterdam have subways called metros which are very fast and stop at every station for passengers to enter and leave.
In Rotterdam railway transport is important. There are beautiful trains known as bullet trains.
Railway transport offers fast and reliable transport predominantly over long distances in Europe. All rails lead to Rotterdam. Trade lanes for both maritime and continental cargo link all important European markets with Rotterdam, especially the more distant markets that cannot be reached by inland shipping.
Four hundred cost effective rail shuttle services provide state-of-the-art performance to customers.
There are fifty short-track rail shuttle services within the Netherlands. No where can we put Uganda on this scale.
On the whole the Netherlands has a dense railway network that offers frequent service. It is the quickest way to travel between city centres. The carriages are modern and clean and the tracks usually run on time. In comparison the Uganda railways system is a museum of old railway transport technology.
Rotterdam is a port whose pipeline networks extend from the sea terminals and the Rotterdam based oil companies to a location far in the European hinterland. The pipeline system includes dedicated lines for the transportation of various products. The port is estimated to handle some 50 million tonnes of oil and chemical products annually according a report on its services.
Rotterdam, is the headquarters of Unilever, a multi-national company.
Rotterdam is also a cultural centre serving over 200 European ports.
Can Uganda liven Portbell to the level of Rotterdam?
Will the East African Community ever upgrade Mombasa port to standards of Rotterdam? Only time shall tell.