Theory question 107
CommunicationCommerce 2 (theory)
(a) State four services rendered by courier companies.
(b) State three advantages and three disadvantages of rail transport.
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(a) Any four: fast delivery of letters, documents and parcels; door-to-door collection and delivery; tracking of items; delivery of urgent/valuable items within the country and abroad; proof of delivery; insurance of items; cash-on-delivery/ e-commerce deliveries.
(b) Advantages (any three): carries bulky and heavy goods; cheap over long distances; carries large numbers of passengers; fairly safe and regular (timetable); less road congestion; not affected by traffic.
Disadvantages (any three): fixed routes – no door-to-door service; expensive to build and maintain; unsuitable for short distances; goods need double handling; inflexible timetable; slow compared with air; breakdowns delay all traffic on the line.
Rail suits bulky goods over long distances; its weakness is lack of door-to-door service.