transport TRANSPORT Role of Transport in the

Transcript:transport TRANSPORT Role of Transport in the:
transport TRANSPORT Role of Transport in the Sustained Economic A well-knit and coordinated system of transport plays an important role in the sustained economic growth of a country. Transport routes are the basic economic arteries of the country. Transport system is regarded as the controller of the national economy and provides a very important link between production and consumption. The amount of traffic moving in a country is a measure of its progress. In a country like India, the importance of transport is more because of its vastness as well as varied nature of geographical conditions. In India, it is also a source of national integration. The present Indian transport system comprises several modes including rail, road, coastal shipping, air transport, etc. Transport has recorded a substantial growth over the years both in terms of length and output of the system. Railways: The railways in India provide the principal mode of transportation for freight and passengers. It brings together people from the farthest corners of the country and makes possible the conduct of business, sightseeing, pilgrimage and education. Indian railways have been a great integrating force during the last 150 years. It has bound the economic life of the country and helped in accelerating the development of industry and agriculture. From a very modest beginning in 1853, when the first train steamed off from Mumbai to Thane, a distance of 34 km, Indian Railways have grown into a vast network of 6,906 stations spread over a route length of 63,122 km with a fleet 7,681 locomotives, 39,852 passenger service vehicles, 4,904 other coachingof vehicles and 2, 14,760 wagons as on 31 March 2003.The growth of Indian Railways in the 150 years of its existence is thus phenomenal. It has played a vital role in the economic, industrial and social development of the country. The network runs multigauge operations extending over 63,122 route-kilometres . Problems of Indian Railways: Although Indian Railways have progressed a lot, both quantitatively and qualitatively, during the last few years, this system is still plagued by a number of problems which require immediate attention. A lot has been done, but a lot more is yet to be done. Some of the major problems faced by the Indian Railways are briefly discussed as under: Safety: Indian Railways have been in the news albeit for wrong reasons. With the rapid increase in passenger and goods traffic, the frequency of