You cannot imagine your life without transport. Transport has become the lifeline of every individual. It seamlessly connects people to different places and makes their movement possible from one place to another. Not only transportation enables easy movement of the people but also it enables the swift movement of goods from one place to another.
The transportation system bridges the gap between the producer of the goods and the consumer of those goods. Well-produced in a particular place is transported and shipped to the place via transport where they are to be consumed. There is four medium of transportation- railways, waterways, roadways, and airways. Based on the kind of goods and the emergency of use the mode of transportation is selected. Say, for example, medicines are mostly transported from one place to another, using airways, as the means of transport.
Transportation is the vital chain of the economy without which the effective function of the economy cannot be imagined. It helps in the generation of huge job opportunities for the common man and revenue to the government in the form of various taxes, transportation charges, and fees.
Transportation is also used for importing and exporting goods. It is because of good transport system goods are transported beyond the boundaries of the country and are received as well.
Transportation Services in India
Road Transportation
Road transportation is the oldest means of transportation and perhaps the most used one. Here people and goods are transported from one place to another on roads using various vehicles. The road is a route between two points of destinations, which has been paved to enable transportation by way of various carriages. Every day umpteen numbers of goods are transported across India using road transport as the medium of transportation. Trucks, carriers, tippers, and trailers are the most common means of road transport for transporting goods to the destination point. Road transport has many benefits including
- Fewer capital expenses,
- Door to door service,
- Service in remote areas,
- Flexibility,
- Suitable for a short distance
- Lesser risk of damage in transit
- Helps in connecting other modes of transport
No matter where you need to deliver goods, freight, and supplies from one place to another in India, road transport is a great boon. With this medium of transportation, you can just load the items from the place, drive and unload it right at the required destination. Road transportation is characterized as fast, flexible and adaptable shipments for any kind of cargo.
Train Transportation
A freight train, cargo train, or goods train is a group of goods wagons that are used to transport goods from one city to another in the same country. Transporting goods by train is the safest way to transport goods. Railways carry a significant amount of the nation’s freight and transport goods by saving on fuel costs, relieving highway congestion, and reducing carbon emissions.
Transporting goods by train also provides benefits to the environment beyond fuel efficiency and sustainability for it minimizes supply chain costs, allowing business enterprises to be more competitive in the global market.
Every day umpteen numbers of goods are transported from one place to another via railways. The greatest benefit of rail transportation is that
- It is a dependable mode of transportation as it is the least affected by weather conditions such as rains, fog, etc.
- It is best for long distances for it is cost-effective
- Transports the goods at a relatively high speed.
- Best transport medium for transporting bulky and heavy goods
- Is a safer medium and has a large capacity for transportation
- Efficient mode of transportation
- Rail transport is better organized than any other form of transport. It has fixed routes and fixed schedules. Its services are more regular, uniform and certain as compared to other modes of transport.
Ship Transportation
Shipping goods by sea is still popular due to low cost, greater capacity of vessel load, and minimal restrictions on the vessel. Many exports and imports from India are done via waterways using the ship as the means of transport.
Up to 90% of the world’s merchandise is carried by sea and the reason is that there are umpteen numbers of benefits for foreign trade via ship transport.
Sea freight services allow for substantially lower transportation costs in the case of long-distance goods carriers. Shipping goods by sea transport offers benefits like
- One can ship large volumes at low costs- a freight forwarder can consolidate consignments to minimize costs.
- Shipping containers can be used for further transportation by road or rail.
- Shipping rates are competitive and thus this is the most cost-effective way of transportation
- The ideal way to move big volumes of cargo. Huge vessels can carry large amounts of goods and raw materials compared to trucks or airplanes. Also, shipping allows for the movement of gas, liquids, and dangerous cargo.
- The percentage of losses caused by incidents during transport by sea is very less, making this means of transportation the safest
- It is very eco-friendly and causes no harm to the environment.
Air Transportation
The movement of people and cargo by aircraft such as airplanes and helicopters is called air transportation. If you want the fastest medium to move your goods from one place to another then air transportation is the best option to go for.
This transport has great benefits which other transport media do not offer and it includes:
- It is the fastest means of transport
- It is a safe mode of transportation and goods arrive in the best condition
- It has high availability and the number of flights destined for delivery of goods is high
- It reaches the place where the other transports do not have any access.
- The best medium for transporting medicines and costly perishable goods.
- Gives high-level security for sensitive items
- Consistent and scheduled services
Gives high-level security for sensitive items
Consistent and scheduled services
Air cargo contributes by carrying important shipments all across the globe and facilitates the supply chain of automated parts, foodstuff, electronics, medical supplies, vaccines, precious items, and many other important shipments.
Air cargo means fast shipping; reliable arrival and departure timings and shipments can be easily sent anywhere, securely and with low risk and one can easily track the cargo on a real-time basis.
Road transportation is one of the most usable services in India
Road transport is one of the most used transportation services in India. Daily umpteen numbers of goods are transported from one place to another via road transport from one place to another in the country.
Trucks, trailers, and carriers ply for 24 hours a day carrying goods to the destination point. Road transport comes with many benefits like less investment, door-to-door service, flexibility in service, useful for small distances, and beneficial to the industries.
The major benefit of road transportation is that it can enable the door-to-door delivery of goods and materials and can provide a very budget-friendly means of loading and unloading goods.
Delivery of goods in small villages, remote areas, and rural areas can only be possible using road transport. It also employs many people.
The investment required for road transport is very low as compared to other modes of transportation like air transport and railways. Furthermore, the cost of construction, operating cost and maintaining roads is cheaper than that of railways.
Daily use goods, agricultural produce, medicines, and other daily use goods are effectively transported from one place to another using road transport as a transportation medium. Without road transportation, you cannot even imagine sustaining yourself to lead a normal life.
Conclusion
Transportation helps in the movement of goods, people and generates employment for a significant population. You cannot imagine a normal life without means of transportation as without them you will not be able to move from one place to another and also will not be able to get goods and other things as and when required. Every model of transportation has its significance.
