Page 270 - New Medley 5 Semester 2

Roads were constructed with stone and mud for the smooth movement

of wheeled carts. Up to the end of the 18th century, road travel was slow.
James Watt developed a steam engine in England. This was the turning

point in the system of transportation. Railway trains that ran by steam
engines were developed.

The growth of industries in different parts of the world has also encouraged
further improvement in the quantity and quality of transport.

Types of Transport

There are four main types of transport. These are roadways, railways,
airways and waterways. We cannot use the same type of transport for

all our needs. The type of transport we use depends upon the cost we

can pay and the type of goods to be transported. It also depends upon
the distance we have to travel. The present system of transport is faster
and can carry very heavy goods.

Roadways

The Romans were the first to build roads.

Those roads were rough and narrow. The
development of automobiles led to the
construction of pucca metalled roads.

Today, every country has pucca or metalled

roads connecting big cities, industrial
towns, trading centres and seaports. Many
rich countries have a network of highways,

also called freeways or expressways. India Golden Quadrilateral Road

also has a well-developed network of
highways. All countries of Europe are connected to each other through
such highways.

Some of the well-known highways in the world are

1. The Pan-American Highway from Alaska in North America to Chile
in South America

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