Introduction: -In India, transport plays an important role in
nation's economy. Since the economic liberalization of the 1990's, development
of infrastructure within the country has progressed at a rapid pace and today
there is a wide variety of modes of transport by Land, Water and Air are
available in India.
Transportation is the movement of people, animal and
goods from one location to another. Transport infrastructure consists of the
fixed installations necessary for transport, and may be roads, railways,
airways, waterways, canals and pipelines and terminals such as airports,
railways stations, bus stations, trucking terminals and seaports. India's rail
network is the 4th largest and most heavily used system in the world,
transporting over 6 billion passengers
and over 350 million tons of goods annually.
1.
Helps in production: -Transport
system helps the manufacturer to
take the raw materials and other requirements quickly from the places, where it
is available to the production centers. It helps the movement of the labour
from their houses to the place of their work. It also makes possible quick
dispatch and distribution of finished goods to the centers of consumption.
2.
Expanding Markets: -It reduces the gap between the producers and
consumers. It helps to cover the wider area of market places by making the
goods available, whenever need arises. Transport plays an important role in
distribution and marketing of goods. Air transport plays an important role in
the success of an international trade.
3.
Create Place Utility: -Transport is useful for carrying the goods from the
place of its availability to the place of its requirement. Only, because of
transport, it has been possible for the people staying at far places to get the
benefit of goods, which are not available near to them. E.g. apples from
Kashmir are transported throughout the country's Mangoes from India are
exported to different countries, etc.
4.
Stability of Prices: -Transport helps to maintain the prices of the goods
by providing the goods at the proper time and satisfying the consumer demand
for the goods. It helps to maintain balance between the demand and supply of
goods, which ensures stability of prices.
5.
Creates Employment: -Transport provides direct employment to transport
owners, drivers, mechanics, helpers and so on. It also provides indirect
employment by facilitating the movement of goods and people from one place to
another. So, it provides direct and indirect employment to the number of
people.
6.
Improves standard of Living: -Transport helps people to enjoy a better standard of
living by providing them with goods of their choices from faraway places or
places of its availability. As transport creates employment, it gives an
opportunity to people to earn good amount of income. E.g. imported cars can be
transported from foreign countries.
7.
Cost Reduction: -The cost of production and distribution can be
reduced with the help of efficient, cheap and quick means of transport. The
goods can be sold at low prices which in turn will increase demand and expand
market.
8.
Provides help during emergency: -People are badly affected during natural calamities
like floods, earthquakes, landslides, etc. and also during riots, bomb blasts,
accidents, fire, etc. transport helps the
people by providing them with the necessities like food, water, medicines,
etc. and also helps them to travel to their destinations.
9.
National Defense: -Transport plays an important and special role in the
defense of the country. An efficient transport network system ensures quick
movement of troops, arms and ammunitions from one place to another.
10.
Economic development: -Economic development of a country depends on a good
network of transport system and industrial development. Good transport system
also provides employment opportunity; new industries are established where
there is a good network of transport. This all gives rise to economic
development of a nation.
