Question

advantages and disadvantages of roadways railways and waterways and airways

Answer 1

Roads:
Advantage: It is the basic means of transportation and communication.
Disadvantage: Heavy loads and very bulky goods cannot be transported easily
Railways: It is a good source of transporting cargo and people to several places of the world.
Disadvantage: It cannot go everywhere
Waterways:
Advantage:It is a good source by which very bulky and heavy goods can be transported to one place very easily
Disadvantage: It takes a lot of time and fuel
Airways
Advantage: It is fast, it transports heavy cargo and people to one area very quickly as compared to other means of transport
Disadvantage: It is not possible for an airplane to travel in very critical weather conditions.

Answer 2

Answer:

The advantages of roadways are as follows :

•    It is through the roads that every village and hamlet can be reached.

•   Construction cost of roads is much lower than that of the railway line.

•    Roads can be constructed even in the areas of difficult terrain and where railway lines do not exist.

•    Roads offer door to door service and thereby, reduce the cost of loading and unloading. Roads also help farmers to move their perishable products quickly to the markets.

•   The movements of goods is safer through road transport as the chances of pilferage are lesser than in railways.

The disadvantages of roadways are as follows :

•   Many roads are unsurfaced and therefore, not suitable for regular vehicular traffic.

•    Roads are not properly maintained. Poor road surfaces cause heavy loss in wear and tear of vehicles.

•    There are multiple check-posts, toll tax and octroi duties collection point on the roads which bring down the speed of the traffic, waste time and cause irritation to the commuters.

•    Many roads have inadequate capacity, weak pavement, unbridged level crossings and lack of wayside amenities and safety measures.

•    The traffic on Indian roads, especially in cities, is too high.

The advantages of railways are as follows :

•    Railways constitute one of the most efficient and cost-effective forms of transportation. Railways help in the easy movement of bulky goods and perishable commodities to distant places.

•    Railways transport raw materials to the production units and finished goods to the markets.

•    Railways have brought the villages closer to the cities and have helped to transfer new ideas and innovations to the rural areas.

•    Railways help in reducing sufferings during natural calamities.

•    Rail travel is safer and comfortable for families with babies and elders.

Disadvantages of railways are as follows :

•    Rail transport lacks flexibility of routes. Train tracks cannot be laid in every region of the country like in the hilly areas or remote forested areas.

•   Train travel can be very long and tedious, especially when compared to air travel.

•    The trains which run on coal produce lot of air and noise pollution.

•    Trains cannot cross the oceans. They are limited to land travel and cannot normally haul products from one continent to another.

•    Most industrial locations have roads leading to them, but not all of them have train tracks leading to them.

The advantages of waterways are as follows :

•   It is the cheapest means of transport.

•    It is most suitable for carrying heavy and bulky material.

•    It is a fuel-efficient and eco-friendly mode of transport.

•    Travel by ships and cruise liners is comfortable as it provides lot of space and other facilities concerning daily life.

•    Water transport is safe and has less traffic in comparison to road and air transport.

The disadvantages of waterways are as follows :

•    It depends on weather conditions.

•    It needs long travelling hours which causes sea sickness.

•    Water transport is limited to the areas where rivers are navigable and oceanic routes exist.

The advantages of airways are as follows :

•    Air transport is particularly significant for a country like India in which owing to her vast size long distances have to be covered between important cities.

•    It is the fastest and comfortable mode of transport. It connects the far flung and remote areas of the country.

•    The speed and ease with which aeroplanes can cross mountain barriers, sandy deserts, large expanses of water or forests make the air transport indispensible.

•    Air transport is of particular importance during natural calamities. It is used to air-lift people from the affected areas and to air-drop food, medicines and other necessary things to calamity affected people.

The disadvantages of airways are as follows :

• Air transport is costly.
• It depends on weather conditions. Flights are often delayed due to bad weather.
• Air transport is run on petroleum which is a non-renewable source of energy.
• Air transport can carry small tonnage but it has high freight charges.

Explanation: