With human culture developing over the years, transport has evolved. Man has made various achievements in all stages, pastoral, agricultural, commercial, and industrial, while developing the civilization.
The first-ever transport mode was walking. Roads did not exist. They had to walk for a livelihood and also to have a social life. Long-distance walking during the Paleolithic Age created trade routes. In human history, the only other mode than walking was using domestic animals.
Tracks didn't exist before. The first-ever tracks which were created were for domestic animals. At times, they had to travel to far off places. So all the animals became an element in track creation. Tracks were widened to accommodate them all. Different animals like – horses, oxen, donkeys, camels and more, were used alternatively according to the local conditions which suited them. The use of domestic animals was an essential part of the development of their culture.
When Rome conquered Europe, they developed the transportation system there. The roads of Europe couldn't cater to the needs of Romans. So, they built roads that connected England to the rest of the world. By the time Romans left, England was left with good roads. In the 18th century, the conditions of the road were still unsatisfactory. Passenger movement was less.
During Industrial Revolution, highways were built with materials of soil and stone. Workers had to travel daily to the factories. Passenger movement considerably increased.
In India, during the Vedic Age, the maintenance and protection of public highways were considered one of the King's duties. During that time, there were two forms of transport- land and water.
In the later Vedic period, people learnt to use vehicles for carrying men and goods. With transport, knowledge of trade and commerce started. There was – 'Disayatra', which was used like both modern mail and the passenger vehicle. In the 3rd Millennium BC, chariots were used. Common chariots included Yana Ratha (for passengers and goods) and Avupada (For passengers only).
In ancient India, people had learnt the art of road building. When governments were established, the importance of road transport was realized. During this era, the public transportation system was established. During the medieval period, many rulers have been praised for constructing important roads, some of which were important for transport and trade. At this time, roads were looked after and managed by the state.
During British Rule, roads were developed for making marketing and administration convenient. Peshawar, Delhi and Kolkata were connected. Public Works Department was created for the maintenance of roads. Even though public transportation was available, Indian villages were self-sufficient to use their carts and animals.
After Independence, many government plans in India have been undertaken even in recent times.
However, we haven't yet become perfect. There are several issues, and we are in great need of modernization. Not just maintenance, but widening and expanding the network is also an important thing to address. In addition, with population and economy increasing, India needs to increase the average movement speed on roads.
Humans have come a long way, and indeed there will be a day when most of the issues would have been sorted.
0 Comments