Transport

Transport is a service or facility that physically carries people, materials, and manufactured goods from one location to another. It is an organised industry created to satisfy the basic human need for mobility. Modern society depends on speedy and efficient transport systems to support the entire cycle of production, distribution, and consumption of goods. At every stage of this complex system, the value of the material being moved is significantly enhanced by transportation — moving raw materials to a factory, or finished goods to a market, adds economic worth.

Measuring Transport Distance

Distance in transport is not a single idea. It can be measured in three distinct ways:

• km distance — the actual physical length of the route, measured in kilometres.
• time distance — the time taken to travel on a particular route.
• cost distance — the expense incurred while travelling on a route.

When choosing a mode of transport, the determining factor is distance — but not necessarily the km distance. Instead, it is distance in terms of time or cost that matters most. For example, a longer route by expressway may be preferred over a shorter but congested road because the time distance is smaller.

Network and Accessibility

As transport systems develop, different places get linked together to form a network. A network consists of two basic elements:

• Nodes — A node is the meeting point of two or more routes. It can be a point of origin, a point of destination, or any sizeable town located along a route. …