Class x (Geog.)

Contributed by: 1. karthik 2. vikacith

For a long time, trade and transport were

restricted to a limited space. With thedevelopment in science and

technology, thearea of influence of trade and

transporteconomy. It is thus, evident that a

dense andefficient network of transport and

communication is a pre-requisite for local,

national and global trade of today.

India has one of the largest road networks inthe world, aggregating to about 2.3 million kmat present. In India, roadways have precededrailways. They still have an edge over railwaysin view of the ease with which they can be builtand maintained. The growing importance ofroad transport vis-à-vis rail transport is rootedin the following reasons..

Golden Quadrilateral Super Highways: The government has launched a major roaddevelopment project linking Delhi-Kolkata-Chennai-Mumbai and Delhi by six-laneSuper Highways. The North-South corridorslinking Srinagar (Jammu & Kashmir) andKanyakumari (Tamil Nadu), and East-WestCorridor connecting Silcher (Assam) andPorbander (Gujarat) are part of this project.The major objective of these Super Highwaysis to reduce the time and distance betweenthe mega cities of India. These highwayprojects are being implemented by theNational Highway Authority of India (NHAI).

National Highways:National Highwayslink extreme parts of the country. These arethe primary road systems and are laid andmaintained by the Central Public WorksDepartment (CPWD).

INDIA HAS A ROAD NETWORK OF OVER 4.42 MILLION KILOMETRES (2.059 MILLION MILES) MAKING IT THE SECOND LARGEST ROAD NETWORK IN THE WORLD. AT 0.66 KM OF ROADS PER SQUARE KILOMETER OF LAND THE QUANTITATIVE DENSITY OF INDIA’S ROAD NETWORK IS SIMILAR TO THAT IN THE UNITED STATES (0.65) AND FAR HIGHER THAN THAT OF CHINA'S (0.16) OR BRAZIL'S (0.20). HOWEVER, QUALITATIVELY INDIA'S ROADS ARE A MIX OF MODERN HIGHWAYS AND NARROW, UNPAVED ROADS. AS OF 2008, 49 PERCENT - ABOUT 2.1 MILLION KILOMETERS - OF INDIAN ROADS WERE PAVED.[1][2]

Roads with grade separation generally allow traffic to move freely, with fewer interruptions, and at higher overall speeds; this is why speed limits are typically higher for grade-separated roads. In addition, less conflict between traffic movements reduces the capacity for accidents. Motorways, though having higher average speeds, usually have much lower accident rates per distance travelled than roads which are not grade separated

Advantages of Roadways

Border Roads OrganisationThe Border Roads Organisation (BRO) maintains roads that serve the borders areas of India. It is staffed with a combination of Border Roads Engineering Service officers from the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) and officers from the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army. The organisation develops and maintains arterial roads on the borders of India. The BRO is also involved in the construction of a tunnel at the Rohtang pass. BRO's activities have also helped to accelerate the economic development of the North and North-Eastern border states of India.

Railways are the principal mode oftransportation for freight and passengers inIndia. Railways also make it possible toconduct multifarious activities like business,sightseeing, pilgrimage along withtransportation of goods over longer distances

RAILWAYS

MAJOR SEA PORTS

With a long coastline of 7,516.6 km, India is dotted with 12 major and 181 medium and minor ports. These major ports handle 95 per cent of India’s foreign trade.

WaterwaysSince time immemorial, India was one of the seafaring countries. Its seamen sailed far and near, thus, carrying and spreading Indian commerce and culture. Waterways are the cheapest means of transport.

THE END