Indian Road Transport

Indian Road Transport : 

Indian Road Transport Barath Kumar . K Vaidhyanatha Balaji .K.V. Kunthavi Pradeep Deepthy Mary thomas Navneet Kumar Yadav Sajja Tejo Varaprasad Sabarishkani

Overview : 

Overview The Indian Roadways play a crucial role in connecting the different parts of India. Over the years after independence there has been an extensive development of the network of roads across the length and breadth of India. Road network of India is the largest road networks (3.314 million kilometers) in the world. India's road network consists of national highways, state highways, district roads and village roads. National Highways are found all over the country. They are indispensable as far as communication by roads is concerned. National highways connects States, states' capitals, big cities and ports. National highways carry approximately 40 % of the total traffic but they are only 2 % of the entire road network. State Highways are considered as the main roads of the State. Major cities of the States and capital of the state are connected by state highways. District roads are connecting with major roads and village roads. Village roads provide linkage to other roads in order to meet their daily needs and access to nearby markets.

History : 

History Roadways in India have come a long way. Starting from the pugdandies (a small path created naturally due to frequent walks) of earlier times to the present-day Rajpath of Delhi ,the country has crossed many spheres of road travel. The 'thread that binds the nation together' is truly a deserving metaphor for a road network that is one of the largest in the world. In the Atharva Veda, we find references to road construction and information on precautions to be taken. Kautilya's Arthasashtra mentioned about mechanism of roads for chariots and stresses upon the traffic rules and road safety. With the development of culture and trade, cities like Vaishali, Sravasti, Rajagriha, Kurukshetra, and Ujjaini had roads to facilitate socio-economic intermingling. Ujjaini, capital of Avanti, was an important trade center and connected with northern trunk routes to modern Bharuch, an important seaport. Development of roads took a new turn during Mauryan rule in the 4th century. The administration constructed Rajpath (high roads) and Banikpaths (merchant roads). Megasthenes, the Greek traveler, wrote that the Mauryan Empire took a big stride to develop roads for communication. He recorded a Rajamarga or the king's highway, which was also a trade route and a precursor to the modern Grand Trunk Road. This tradition continued and Chandragupta's grandson, Ashoka, who was a great and compassionate ruler, strengthened the system immensely. At time of Mauryan's , roads played a key role in military operations to keep the vast country united. Records reveal that during the Gupta era there was also a road connection with South India. There were three major routes-one was a connection with Northeast India via Didisa, the other connected to the seaport of the Western coast and the third connected to Pratisthana, the capital of Satvahana Empire. There are also evidences of a route facilitating trade with Iran and China. The Mughal era was the golden era for roads. India was effectively connected to control the vast empire. With the advent of the British, a new awakening dawned upon India. The East India Company revived ancient routes and renovation was initiated. The technology of the West came into play and linkages were well established which provided the British the inroad to rule India for over two hundred years. Roads also worked as inroads to the development of civilizations, and provided human beings a corridor of communication for venturing out to newer frontiers of achievements.

Importance : 

Importance Roads are the vital lifelines of the economy making possible trade and commerce. Roads are most preferred modes of transportation and considered as one of the cost effective modes of transportation. Roads are easily accessible to each individual. Roads facilitate movement of both men and materials anywhere within a country. It helps in socio-economic development as well as brings national integration. It provides linkages to other modes of transportation like railways, airways, and shipping, etc. An efficient and well-established network of roads is desired for promoting trade and commerce in any country and also fulfills the needs of a sound transportation system for sustained economic development. Road transport is contributing 3.69% to GDP where as all transportation modes are contributing a total of 5.5% to GDP.

Present Scenario : 

Present Scenario Today, alternative modes of transport are on the anvil. Yet, amidst all this, Road transport is still the dominant mode of transportation - both for moving goods and passengers. India has a huge network of roads comprising of National Highways, State Highways, Major District Roads and Village and other roads . Out of total length of national highways , 27 % is single lane/intermediate lane; whereas 59 % is double-lane standard; and the rest 14 % is four-lane/ six-lane/ eight lane standard. The road network is assuming a pivotal role in the movement of goods and passengers. There has been a substantial shift in the mode of transportation from Railways towards the road sector. While the Railways handle only 40% of the freight and 20% of the passengers load, 60% of the goods and 80% of passenger's movement takes place through roads. It is anticipated that the function of the road network will further increase in the foreseeable future. Here is the list of existing roadways in India with their respective length at present:- National Highways 66,754 km State Highways 1,28,000 km District roads 4,70,000 km village roads 26,50,000 km

Buses : 

Buses Buses are very cheap in most cities but also very crowded and have unpredictable timings, frequently necessitating long waits. In the big cities and towns of India , buses are the major mode of transport. Luxury and air-conditioned buses also service some cities. Most means of transportation within cities is run by the government. Buses are categorized, based upon the number of seats, the time it takes to travel from A to B, and general comfort. Express and limited buses are usually more expensive options compared to the normal ones, the latter being increasingly modern whilst cheap and easily accessible.

Cars : 

Cars The demand for cars in India is one of the highest in the world. In 2002 more than 50,000 new cars were brought in Delhi alone. Compact cars predominate due to low cost.Maruti, Hyundai, Tata Motors and Ford are the most popular brands in the order of their market share. The clunky Ambassador once had a monopoly but is now an icon of pre-liberalization India , and is still used by politicians. Maruti 800 launched in1984 created the first revolution in the Indian auto sector because of its low pricing. It had the highest market share until 2004, when it was overtaken by other low cost models of Maruti and those of foreign entrants like Hyundai. Over the 20 year period since its introduction about 2.4 milion units of Maruti 800 have been sold.

Auto-Rickshaw : 

Auto-Rickshaw An auto rickshaw (auto or rickshaw or tempo in popular parlance) is a three-wheeler vehicle for hire. They typically have no doors or seatbelts. They are generally yellow or green in colour and have a black canopy on the top. An auto rickshaw is generally characterized by a tin/iron body resting on three small wheels (one in front, two on the rear), a small cabin for the driver in the front and seating for three in the rear. Their design varies considerably from place to place. In some locations, they have an extra plank on the seat to accommodate a fourth passenger. Hiring an auto often involves bargaining with the driver. In some cities like New Delhi , there are larger autos called Fat-fat, which is an onomatopoeic derivation of the phut-phut crackle of their exhausts. These run on fixed routes on fixed fares and are very fuel efficient. Only six passengers are allowed legally but they usually take as many as ten adults. These autos are the new incarnation of old Fat-fats, which were Harley-Davidson and similar powerful motorcycles modified by removing the rear wheel and bolting a two-wheeled platform with bench seats onto the rear.

Two Wheelers : 

Two Wheelers Two wheelers are the most popular mode of transport in terms of number of vehicles. There are two main types of powered two-wheelers, the motor scooter and the motorcycle The scooter was first built in post-war Italy as a two-wheeler with small wheels (supposedly to utilize war-surplus aircraft tail wheels). It differs from the motorcycle in having the driver seated with his legs together, and is thus favored by women drivers (sari, a common Indian dress for women, doesn't permit separation of legs). The Italian Vespa scooter was built in India under license by Bajaj Auto, and together with the Italian Lambretta scooter dominated the two-wheeler scene. Much later came the hugely successful Bajaj Chetak scooter, but Bajaj has since lost the market to new entrants like Kinetic Motors. In the past decade, lightweight mini-scooters like the TVS Scooty and the Honda Activa have made it much easier for women to travel. The post-war years saw the predominance of foreign motorcycles, mainly British ones like Norton, BSA, Ariel etc. In the 1960s Indian-made bikes like Royal Enfield Bullet (a 350cc British design), Jawa (a 250cc Czech design) and Rajdoot (a 175cc Polish design) predominated. After the beginning of liberalization Indian versions of popular Japanese bikes such as Suzuki, Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha hit the roads, leading to motorcycles outstripping scooters in popularity. The overwhelmingly large number of bikes sold have engines 175cc or less.

Utility Vehicles : 

Utility Vehicles The first utility vehicle in India was manufactured by Mahindra and Mahindra. The vehicle was an instant hit and made Mahindra Corp one of the top companies in India. The Indian Army and police extensively used Mahindra vehicles for transporting personnel and equipments. Tata Motors, the automobile manufacturing leg of the Tata Group. launched its first utility vehicle, Tata Sumo in mid-1990s. Sumo was the first utility vehicle which captured the urban market. Many people used them as avenues of employment and till today they are lent on hire for personal purposes. Tempo trax of Bajaj Auto till recently was ruling the rural areas. Mahindra and Mahindra's Scorpio is the market leader in the utility vehicle segment. However with the advent of Toyota's Qualis and General Motors' Tavera.

Cycle Rickshaw : 

Cycle Rickshaw From the early part of the century the bicycle rickshaws also became popular and are still used in rural India . Its more a bigger tri-cycle wherein two people can sit on a elevated seat at the back and a person will paddle (driver) from the front. In urban areas they have been mostly superseded by auto rickshaws

Manually Pulled Rickshaw : 

Manually Pulled Rickshaw This type of transport was prevalent until 2005 in Kolkata wherein a person pulls the rickshaw. The Government of West Bengal banned these rickshaw in 2005 describing them "inhuman". While this was lauded in general but questions about alternative means of livelihood of those who directly or indirectly depend on hand pulled rickshaws were not immediately addressed.

Trams : 

Trams The advent of the British saw trams being introduced in many cities including Mumbai and Calcutta. They are still in use in Calcutta and provide a pollution-free means of transportation. The nationalized Calcutta Tram Company has introduced buses on certain routes in order to generate more revenue and reduce losses.