A transportation system can be defined

as the combination of elements and their interactions , which

produce the demand for travel within a given area and the supply
of transportation services to satisfy this demand. The main function
of transportation is to carry the products to different markets,
which may be at different geographical locations. Apart from
transporting the goods, the additional value that transportation
provides to the customers are providing the products on time in the
quantities demanded, and in the undamaged form

According to Burkart and Medlik,

“transportation can be define as
the means to reach the destination and also the means of
movement at the destination”
1) Shipper and consignee :- the objective of moving the
goods from their origin to their destination within the stipulated
time and at the lowest possible expense is shared by both the
shipper and the consignee
2) Carrier :- the intermediary between the consignee and the
shipper is known as carrier. Maximising the revenue from the
transaction and minimising the cost of carrying out the transaction
are the main motives of the carrier
3) Public :- the main concern of common public related to the
transportation are its cost effectiveness , accessibility and different
safety and environmental standards
4) Government :- As the transportation has a huge impact on
the performance of the economy it becomes a very crucial
factor ; thus, government has a higher level of interest in it. In
order to maintain a sustainable economic development ,a
stable and efficient transportation is important

 Economical
 Delivery of goods
 Speed
 Availability
 Insurance
 Arrangement
 Efficiency
1) The way :- Natural ways are cheap and free, and have no
maintenance costs unless we try to improve them artificially.
The sea the air the rivers, and footpaths are all natural ways.
Being natural they are subject to the whims of nature and this
often requires that they be improved artificially.

2) The unit of carriage :- This refers to anything i.e. vessel

that is used to transport goods and people from one place to
another. Units of carriage include: ships trains. Aeroplanes,
motor vehicles bicycles and carts. Even a pipeline can be
considered as unit of carriage
3) The motive power unit :- Every vehicle must be driven
and the choice of propulsion unit depend upon the strength of the
vehicle the speed required the available fuel and other factors.
Today the steams engine the first great prime mover has been
largely replaced by the petrol engine,

4) The terminal :- Nearly every journey involves junctions

where we can transfer from of transport to another. A part is
usually regarded as a terminal for ships but in fact it is also a
terminal for trains roads pipelines and aircrafts.
 TYPES AND ROLE OF
DIFFERENT MODES OF
TRANSPORTATION
1) Roadways

For the agricultural and industrial development of any nation the

most important mode can be seen as the road transport this
method is quite useful in reaching to short and medium distance
even to those places where other modes of transportation do not
have their reach. The facility of door -to –door services which is not
possible by other modes is provided by road transport

Role of road transport

 door to door services
 Flexible services
 Suitable fo short distance
 Lesser risk of damage in transmit
 Rapid speed
2) Railways

One of the principal carriers of men and materials in the country is

railways which plays a very significant role in the trade and
commerce activities of the country. It supplies essential
commodities to different locations by transporting across the length
and breath of the country. The industrialisation and development of
many nations have been carried forward with the help of railways.

Role of rail transport

 Convenience
 Time
 Reliable
 Economical
3) Waterway / sea
In order to ship heavy non perishable and low value goods (such as
coal, grain, ore, and petroleum products) the cheapest mode of
transportation can be seen as waterways. There is a huge capacity in
case of water carriers . these are a number of markets which are not
connected with the waterways without the use of railroad or trucks.
The waterway shipping industry is segmented into various parts
which are as below.
i) Liner services ii)Tramp shipping
III) Industrial services iv)Tanker
Role of water transport

 Important for foreign trade

 Defence
 Cheapest slowest transport
 Transport of heavy goods
4) Airways
Among ail the other modes of transport the least hazardous mode
can be considered as the airways. The cost of air transportation is
quit high thus it is mainly used for the transportation of high valued
perishable products with limited life span. The facility of air cargo is
mainly concentrated near the gateway airports e.g ., Delhi,
Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Mangalor.

Role of air transport

 High speed
 Quick services
 Easy access
 No physical barriers
 Nation defense
5) Pipelines

The use of pipeline for the transportation of petroleum was first

done by “semuel van syckel” in the year 1870 in pothol
pennysylvania. The face of transportation was changed after twenty
years by standard Oil company of North- western pennysylvania

Role of pipeline transportation

 Loss in transit
 Economies of scale
 Eco friendly
 Flexibility
 Low operational cost
6) Ropeway

Out of the total geographical area of India over 16% is

comprised of hilly locations. The problem of transportation is
quite prominent in these locations due to the long circuitous
paths. Sometimes the transportation od essential commodities
and other materials is quite vital due to their strategic
significance in the defence programmes of the nation.

Role of ropeway transportation

 Eco friendly
 High accessibility
 Economical
 Faster coverage
7) Inter- modal transportation

Taking the economic advantages of two or more modes of

transportation by combining them with each other facilitates the
transportation service at a least possible total cost is known inter-
model transportation. In has originated during the early years of
1920s but in order to control the monopoly practices different
restrictions were imposed on the corporative practices

Role of Inter-model transportation

 Minimises time loss at trans-shipment points

 Provides faster transit of goods
 Reduces burden of documentation and formalities
 Save cost
Role of transportation Significance of
transportation

1. Movements of products 1. Helping emergencies and

2. Storage of products natural disasters
3. Economic 2. Employment generation
4. Geographic specialisation 3. Movement of the labourers
5. large scale production 4. Unites nations
5. Purchasing decisions
6. Location decisions
7. Availability of row material
8. Availability of goods to the
customer