Unethical practices in transportation

Bribery in transportation
Fraud in transportation
Illegal trafficking across borders
Criminal use of transport services

Nature

Unethical practices in transportation refer to actions that violate moral principles and legal standards within the industry. These practices include fraud, such as falsifying shipping documents; exploitation of workers, including unsafe working conditions and inadequate pay; and environmental violations, such as illegal dumping of hazardous materials. Additionally, unethical behavior can manifest in discriminatory practices, such as unequal access to transportation services. Such actions not only undermine public trust but also pose significant risks to safety, environmental sustainability, and social equity, ultimately harming communities and the integrity of the transportation sector.

Incidence

Unethical practices in transportation manifest in various forms, including bribery, fraud, and exploitation of labor. A 2020 report by Transparency International highlighted that 30% of respondents in the transportation sector across 15 countries experienced corruption, with significant incidences reported in regions like Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe. Additionally, the International Labour Organization estimates that over 21 million people are victims of forced labor in transportation and related industries, underscoring the pervasive nature of unethical practices globally.
A notable instance occurred in 2019 in the Philippines, where a major shipping company was implicated in a scandal involving the underpayment of seafarers and the falsification of employment contracts. Investigations revealed that many crew members were paid below the minimum wage and forced to work excessive hours without proper compensation, prompting widespread protests and legal action against the company.

Claim

Because of its highly competitive and lucrative nature, especially in the case of international transport between legal jurisdictions, the transport sector is vulnerable to a wide range of unethical practices. These include: abuse of safety standards (as in the case of ferry boats), improper maintenance (as in the case of aircraft, trucks and automobiles), use of personnel who are improperly qualified and/or working excessive hours (as in the case of pilots), price fixing (as with air passenger transport and cargo shipping conferences), diversion and/or relabelling of cargoes (as in sanction beating), smuggling (as in the case of arms, drugs and black market goods), transport of crew or passengers with improper travel documents (as in the case of illegal immigrants), avoidance of tax and other regulations (as with flags of convenience). In many such instances, and especially cargo handling, organized crime is a significant factor.

Counter-claim

Iraqi Kurdish smugglers are an essential supply line of food and medicines from Iran into northern Iraq. One pharmacist had 90% of his drugs as illegal imports. The smugglers bazaars in the beleaguered are the response to a double set of sanctions -- one imposed by the international community on the whole of Iraq, the other by Baghdad on the northern rebels.