The movement of people and goods is an absolute necessity of society. For their implementation there are special means - transport. What is he, even a child knows. Nevertheless, it is a complex system that requires absolute understanding.
The concept
From the point of view of an integrated approach, the named concept can be considered as follows:
- The totality of all existing ways of moving.
- Branch of economy and production.
- Systematic integration of all modes of transportation and related infrastructure.
In a generalized sense, transport is:
- a connecting link between cities, countries and continents;
- the main component of any production;
- a means of moving people, as well as providing them with essential goods.
As an industry, it consists of:
- from the subject of labor — transportation proper;
- means of labor - rolling stock;
- ongoing work - their management.
Functions
Given the absolute need for it, transport has entered all spheres of life. It has many features:
- Economic. It acts as a means of labor in the extraction and provision of the state with minerals: oil, gas, coal, ore, precious metals. Makes it possible and affordable to specialize industries simultaneously with their cooperation. It is the main connecting link in the domestic and international trade of any country.
- Social. It manifests itself in the provision of opportunities to live, work and relax in different areas of a settlement, country, continent, planet and simplify human labor.
- Cultural significance lies in the possibilities of exchanging experiences and values, visiting any culturally rich places, replenishing with new works of art.
- The political role is to establish international and trade ties.
- Military - in providing the army with the possibilities of peaceful and armed movements, medical care and nutrition.
Thus, regardless of the type and characteristics, transport is an integral part of the state and society.
Classification
All existing methods of movement can be divided into two main groups: the environment for the implementation of the main activity and the service area.
Depending on the environment, the following groups and types are distinguished:
- Ground: rail, wheeled.
- Underground (metro).
- Air (aviation).
- Space.
- Water and underwater.
- Piping.
By the nature of the service sector, they distinguish:
- Public transport.
- Special Purpose Tools.
- Personal use vehicles.
Types of public transport are represented by a combination of rolling stock for the movement of goods and passengers aimed at fulfilling their economic, social, cultural, and sometimes political functions.
The most important types of public transportation options include rail, road, water, aviation and pipeline transport. What is each of the groups is, we will consider further.
Horse and pack transport
The horse-drawn transport can be considered a prototype of all land vehicles. From antiquity to the beginning of the 20th century, it performed all the functions corresponding to the current transport industry. At the same time served as an incentive for the search for more technological and productive ways to move goods and passengers.
Depending on the territorial features, horses, donkeys, bulls, elephants, deer, dogs, camels were exploited. Animals were used for riding or harnessed to transport carts, carts, carriages.
Pack transport was used for off-road (mountains, deserts, taiga) - animals with packs on their backs were led by leashes.
With the development of rail and road communications, he gradually went out of public exploitation, turning into rare personal use.
Water transport
Water transport - also has ancient roots dating back to the III-II millennium BC. e., and was the only way to implement international trade and the conquests of overseas countries.
Today it is distributed on sea and river. Its advantages include:
- lower energy costs than rail and road;
- lack of need to build communication lines;
- the ability to transport bulk non-urgent cargo over long distances, as well as where the construction of bridges is complicated or too costly.
Disadvantages:
- Weather dependent.
- Low speed of movement.
- The high cost of building ports and docks.
- The possibilities of the river are limited by the patency of the rivers.
An important feature of loading and unloading is the need to use several types of transport within the same port facilities, namely, road and rail.
Railway transport
It is a freight and passenger transport, the work of which is based on the movement of rolling stock along specially equipped tracks - rails. Its advantages:
- Universality, independence from weather conditions, reliability.
- High cargo and passenger capacity, which allows realizing the movement of large flows in small time intervals.
- The ability to carry out direct deliveries from the manufacturer, if there are appropriate access roads.
- Good speed.
- The comfort of passenger travel.
If we consider the types of freight transport, then the railway occupies a leading position in the transportation of non-valuable, oversized cargo, including timber, grain, coal, building materials, oil refining products. If necessary, containerization is used.
Disadvantages:
- Capital intensity and engineering difficulties in building communication lines and rolling stock.
- The limited direction of railways, maneuvers and the simultaneous movement of several trains.
- Almost always requires the previous or subsequent involvement of automotive vehicles, which is displayed at a total cost.
- Difficulties of loading and unloading.
- International transport is often hindered by the difference in gauge.
Cargo turnover averages 40-50% in the Russian Federation and 15-20% in the global market. The corresponding passenger turnover in Russia is 30% and 10 in total in the world. Thus, it is a productive and reliable transport.
What is a steam locomotive - our ancestors knew. Today, his future lies in the electrification of railway lines. Modernization of communication lines and rolling stock along with the integrated implementation of high-speed technologies is a stable prospect for increasing the profitability of the industry.
Car
Types of public transport are represented by the automotive industry - the most mobile, technological and exploited. At the same time, he presents personal, special and departmental vehicles and their infrastructure. The share of Russian motor freight traffic is only 4-6%, of the world - 8-10%. Automobile passenger transportations in the Russian Federation account for 30-40% of all carried out, while in the world - 70-75%.
Advantages:
- Mobility, direct supply options without the use of intermediate types of movement.
- Advantage in the transportation of valuable, breakable and perishable goods, including small volumes.
- The method of food delivery, including in remote regions.
- A variety of vehicles for carrying capacity and body type.
- Good speed, low cost and convenience of passenger movements.
- The simplicity of the paths.
Disadvantages:
- Energy intensity, negative impact on the environment.
- High cost.
- Low load capacity compared to other types of capabilities.
- Minimum passenger comfort.
- A significant degree of wear of the rolling stock.
- Dependence on compliance with traffic safety. The presence of risks associated with downtime and additional capital losses.
Passenger transport is almost half represented by road. He remains the leader among travel options within the community and country. For international, and especially intercontinental, rail, water or aviation are used.
Air
Airplanes and helicopters are the highest achievement of a person, in the literal and figurative sense, greatly simplifying the solution of extremely complex problems, which include: moving over great distances at high speed, delivering medicines or humanitarian aid to areas of natural disasters and catastrophes, carrying out complex actions in construction, fire fighting, evacuation, agriculture and so on.
Advantages:
- High speed.
- Decent level of passenger comfort.
- Possibilities of transporting valuable and perishable goods.
- Do not require the construction of communication lines.
Disadvantages:
- Low security.
- The need for the highest qualifications of pilots and controllers.
- Weather dependence.
- Significant capital intensity and cost.
- Limited freight.
Along with significant risks and high cost, it occupies about 20% of the world's passenger traffic.
Pipeline
The combination of pipe-shaped ways of moving liquid and gaseous “goods” over significant distances is represented by pipeline transport. With its help, they ensure interregional, international and intercontinental supply of oil and gas. Work is carried out using the pressure difference in the system and their regulation, respectively, transport workers are represented by dispatchers and point controllers.
Advantages include manufacturability, high performance and availability in all conditions. The disadvantages are high safety and compliance requirements, continuous monitoring and a narrow focus of the system.
It is extremely necessary to ensure a comfortable life for the population, since the possibility of convenient cooking and the level of heat in homes in the cold season depends on its functioning.
The most important system of any society is transport. What is a state without territory and population, without industry, cultural heritage and travel opportunities? It is the bloodstream of any country and the world as a whole. It is a disaster for the environment, but also, quite possibly, the salvation of mankind.