Roads

Road transport is the most economical option for short distances when compared to railways. For freight, road transport is gaining importance because it offers door-to-door service — a flexibility that railways cannot match.

However, not all roads are equally useful. Unmetalled roads are simple to construct but are not effective in all seasons. During the rainy season, they become unmotorable. Even metalled roads are seriously handicapped during heavy rains and floods. In such conditions, the high embankment of railway tracks and the efficient maintenance of railway transport become an effective solution. But the total rail kilometrage in many vast and developing countries is too small to serve the nation's needs at a low cost. Roads, therefore, play a vital role in a nation’s trade, commerce, and tourism.

The quality of roads varies greatly between developed and developing countries because road construction and maintenance require heavy expenditure. In developed countries, good quality roads are universal. They provide long-distance links in the form of motorways, autobahns (in Germany), and interstate highways for speedy movement. Lorries of increasing size and power to carry heavy loads are common on these roads.

Unfortunately, the world’s road system is not well developed. The world’s total motorable road length is only about 15 million km. Of this, North America accounts for 33 per cent. The highest road density and the highest number of vehicles are registered in North America compared to Western Europe.

Traffic Flows …