CONQUERING DISTANCES
Modern world is a world of speed. Today man is moving and communicating very fast. But, not very long ago, man had no means of transport. He travelled on foot from place to place and carried his loads on his shoulders. Later he began to use animals to carry his loads. The invention of the wheel was a great event in the history of transport. Now, Man could travel and carry his loads in carts which moved or wheels. In the beginning, carts were pulled by men and later on by animals. This system of transport continued for several thousand years.
The invention of the steam engine by James Watt was another turning point in the system of transport. Railway trains were introduced. Coal was used to produce steam for engines. Now-a-days petrol, diesel, electricity etc. are used to run various vehicles on land, water and air. Fast means of transport have enabled man to reach any part of the world within a very short time. The world is shrinking day-by-day, as the various means of transport have brought people closer.
NEED FOR TRANSPORT
Man needs means of transport for various purposes e.g. agriculture, industries, trade, etc. largely depend on the means of transport. Industries particularly need the means of transport for the movement of raw materials and finished products to and from the factory sites. Agriculture too needs the transport for bringing various inputs to the fields and for sending the produce to the markets.
TYPES OF TRANSPORT
The system of transport can be grouped under land, water and air transport. Land transport includes roads and railways. Water transport includes canals, rivers, seas and oceans.
ROADWAYS
Earlier roads were made of mud and stone. Now, every country of the world has a good network of pucca (metalled) roads. Kuchcha (unmetalled) roads are now confined to rural areas.
The development of automobiles led to the improvement in roads. Special roads are needed for the fast and smooth movement of vehicles. Today, developed countries have built special broad and smooth roads so that vehicles can move fast on them. There are 4 to 5 lanes on each side. Such roads are called highways, freeways or expressways. A highway between Ahmedabad and Vadodara in India is under construction.
In Europe, various countries are inter-connected by roads. England and France have been connected by a road constructed in a tunnel below the sea. India too is connected by road to neighbouring countries like Nepal, Pakistan, China, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. The Grand Trunk Road connects Kolkata with peshawar (Pakistan). The Hindustan-Tibet road connects India and China via Shimla.
Within the country there are several types of roads, e.g. national highways, state highways, district roads and rural roads. Rural roads are unmetalled.
Traffic is increasing day-by-day. It has created the problem of air pollution due to dust and smoke. The number of accidents are also increasing because people do not follow traffic rules. Countries all over the world are aware of these problems. They are making laws to counteract these problems.
RAILWAYS
Railways are especially useful for travelling long distance and for transporting bulky goods. Railways have been helpful in the development of industries.
Railways were introduced in India by the British rulers. The first railway line was laid down between Mumbai and Thane in 1853. Today, India has the fourth largest Railways in the world. In the transportation of goods and passengers, India ranks second in the world. Rail routes connect India with her neighbours i.e. Pakistan and Bangladesh. Many fast trains like Rajdhani Express and Shatabdi express have been introduced in India-Japan has superfast trains running at a speed of more than 400 kilometers an hour. The TGV of France is the fastest train of the world, running at a speed of 460 km per hour.
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