Transportation and Community

 

🚍 Land Transport — Short Notes

1. Land Transport

Roads and unmettalled roads have been used in India since ancient times.

With economic and technological development, metalled roads and railways were developed to transport large quantities of goods and people.

Ropeways, cableways and pipelines are also used for transporting specific goods and people under special conditions.

2. Road Transport

India has one of the largest road networks in the world.

Road transport is suitable for short-distance travel.

5. National Highways

Constructed and maintained by the Central Government.

Mainly used for inter-state transport and movement of goods/personnel in strategic areas.

Connect:

State capitals

Major cities

Important ports

Railway junctions

Strategic areas

National Highways form only about 2% of the total road length, but carry about 40% of road traffic.

Their length increased from 19,700 km in 1951 to about 1,36,440 km in 2020.

6. NHAI

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was operationalised in 1995.

It is an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Surface Transport.

Main responsibilities:

Development of National Highways

Maintenance of National Highways

Operation of National Highways

Improving the quality of roads

7. Important Fact

Sher Shah Suri built the Shahi (Royal) Road connecting the Indus Valley with the Sonar Valley in Bengal.

During British rule, it was renamed the Grand Trunk (GT) Road, connecting Calcutta and Peshawar.

Today, it extends from Amritsar to Kolkata.

Road Network 2020

Road Category Length (km)

National Highways 1,36,440

State Highways 1,76,818

Easy flow to remember:

Land Transport → Roads → Development → Classification → National Highways → NHAI