Roads

Road Transportation

Road transport, also known as road haulage or truck transport, is the transport of cargo by road. It can be described as any form of wheeled transport that transfers goods from one location to another. However, it has become synonymous with the long-distance transfer of goods using Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) on comparatively long journeys. Learn more about road transportation in the Human Geography Class 12 chapter: Roads. Road transport through highways has gained popularity for good economic reasons: While being cheaper than railways, they offer more flexibility in delivery terms. In comparison to Western Europe, North America has a higher road density and car registrations.

For short distances, road transport is more cost-effective than railways. Because it provides door-to-door service, road freight transport is gaining popularity. Unmetalled roads, on the other hand, are ineffective and unsuitable for all seasons, despite their ease of construction. These become immobile during the rainy season, and even the metal ones are severely hampered by heavy rains and floods. In such cases, a high rail embankment and efficient railway transport service maintenance are effective solutions. However, the world’s road system is in poor condition. The total length of motorable roads in the world is only about 15 million kilometres, with North America accounting for 33% of that total. In comparison to Western Europe, this continent has the highest road density and the highest number of registered vehicles.

Traffic Flows: 

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in traffic on roads. Congestion occurs when the road network is unable to meet the demands of traffic. Chronic traffic congestion plagues city streets. Peaks (high points) and troughs (low points) of traffic flow can be seen on roads at specific times of the day, such as during rush hour before and after work. The majority of the world’s cities have been plagued by traffic congestion.

Issues in Road Transport:

• Unmetalled roads, despite their ease of building, are ineffective and inaccessible in all seasons. These become immobile mostly during the monsoon season, and strong heavy downpours severely hamper the metallic ones

• The railroad kilometrage is too short to meet the demands of large and emerging nations at a reasonable cost

• Since road building and maintenance are costly, the conditions of roads differ substantially between industrialised and developing nations

• Congestion arises when the road system is unable to meet the needs of traffic. Chronic traffic problems plague city streets

• On roadways, peaks (high points) and troughs (low points) of motor traffic can indeed be noticed at specific periods of the day, such as during commute hours before and after work

Highways:

• Highways are paved routes that connect remote locations

• These are built in such a way that automobile mobility is not hampered. As a result, they’re 80 metres wide, with distinct traffic lanes, bridges, overpasses, with dual freeways to ensure a smooth flow of traffic

The pattern of Highways:

Highways are paved roads that connect distant locations. They are designed to allow for unhindered vehicular movement. As a result, they are 80 m wide, with separate traffic lanes, bridges, flyovers, and dual carriageways to ensure continuous traffic flow. Highways connect every city and port town in developed countries. Highway density in North America is high, at about 0.65 km per square km. Every location is within 20 kilometres of a highway. Cities on the Pacific Coast (west) are well connected to those on the Atlantic Coast (east). Similarly, cities in Canada’s north are linked to those in Mexico’s south. 

The Canadian Highway connects Vancouver, British Columbia, on the west coast, to St. John’s City, Newfoundland, on the east coast, and the Alaskan Highway connects Edmonton, Canada, to Anchorage, Alaska (Alaska). The Pan-American Highway, a large portion of which has already been built, will connect South and Central American countries, as well as the United States of America and Canada. In Australia, the TransContinental Stuart Highway connects Darwin (north coast) and Melbourne via Tennant Creek and Alice Springs.

Europe has a sizable vehicle population as well as a well-developed highway network. Highways, on the other hand, face stiff competition from railways and waterways.

In Russia, a dense highway network is being built in the industrialised west of the Urals, with Moscow serving as the hub. The important Moscow-Vladivostok Highway serves the region to the east. Highways in Russia are not as important as railways due to the vast geographical area. Highways cross China, connecting all major cities such as Tsungtso (near the Vietnam border), Shanghai (central China), Guangzhou (south), and Beijing (north).

A new highway connects Chengdu and Lhasa, Tibet.

In North America:

• The roadway density is relatively high, at around 0.65 km per square kilometre. Every other location should be within 20 kilometres of a highway

• Trans-Canada Highway: It connects Vancouver, British Columbia (west coast) to St. John’s City, Newfoundland (east coast), and Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) to Anchorage, Alaska (east coast) (Alaska)

• Pan-American Highway: It will link the territories of Central And South America and the United States of America with Canada

• Trans-Continental Stuart Highway: It links Darwin (north coast) with Melbourne (south coast) within Australia through Tennant Creek as well as Alice Springs

In Russia:

• The industrialised region west of the Urals is developing a dense roadway system, with Moscow serving as the base

In China:

• All major cities such as Tsungtso (just beyond the Vietnam border), Shanghai (core China), Guangzhou (south), as well as Beijing are connected by motorways that crisscross the nation (north). Chengdu and Lhasa, Tibet, are now connected by a new roadway

In India: 

• There are several roadways that connect the major cities and communities. The longest road in the country, for instance, is the National Highway Number. 7 (NH 7), which connects Banaras to Kanyakumari

• New Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Calcutta, and Mumbai are connected by the Golden Quadrilateral (GQ), often known as the Super Expressway

Border Roads:

Border roads are those that run parallel to international borders. They play an important role in connecting people in rural areas to major cities as well as in providing defence. This type of road can be found in almost every country, and it is used to transport goods to border villages and military camps.

Railways are a long-distance land transportation mode for bulky goods and passengers. Railway gauges differ from country to country and are broadly classified as broad (greater than 1.5 m), standard (1.44 m), metre gauge (1 m), and smaller gauges. The standard gauge is used in the United Kingdom.

Commuter trains are very popular in the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, and India. These transport millions of passengers to and from the city on a daily basis. In the world, approximately 13 lakh kilometres of railway are open for traffic.

Europe has one of the world’s most dense rail networks. There are approximately 4,40,000 km of railways, the majority of which are double or multiple-tracked. Belgium has the highest railway density, with 1 km of railway for every 6.5 square kilometres of land area. The industrial regions have some of the highest population densities in the world.

• Border roads are roadways that run along international borders. They serve a critical role in connecting people in rural regions with large cities and in providing security

• Such highways exist in every country to convey products to border settlements, including army bases

Conclusion

Roads serve a strategic purpose in the country’s bordering areas. Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is an initiative of the Government of India that builds and maintains border roads. This organisation was established in 1960 with the goal of developing strategic roads along the northern and northeastern borders. Roads are important because they improve accessibility in areas with difficult terrain. They have aided the economic development of border areas.