Investigating transport in the UK

Transportation is the movement of people and things from one place to another.

Being able to carry goods and reach different places has been essential to people for thousands of years, with walking being used as the main mode of transport.

Later, horses carried people, first on horseback, then in carriages. This is when the road network began to grow. The UK has a system of canals, which were built to carry goods across Britain, during the Industrial Revolution.

Once the steam engine was invented, railways and steam-powered ships became common. With better ships, longer distances were reached, and the world became more and more connected. Railway lines were built, connecting different places to each other.

Bicycles, then cars made it possible for more people to travel further and more quickly, which also led to better roads being built.

Finally, the aeroplane became the fastest mode of transport and, as routes are constantly being developed and improved, the world is becoming more and more connected.

Today, the world's - and the UK's - economy depends on transportation:

• Raw materials are moved to factories. From there, the finished products are moved to shops. Liquid goods, such as oil and gas, can be transported through pipelines.
• People need to travel from home to work, to schools, shops and the doctors.
• Goods need to be transported into the country - these are called imports.
• Goods also need to be transported out of the country - these are called exports.

All means of transport that people use have their advantages and disadvantages.

Type

Advantages

Disadvantages

Cars

• Comfortable so you can travel from your home to a desired location.
• Access to remote rural areas
• Flexibility - there are no timetables to follow and stops along the route can be added.
• Can save money if people car-share

• Air pollution
• Can be expensive with insurance, tolls and parking charges
• Traffic jams can lead to delays
• Longer journeys can be tiring

Trains

• Fast
• Comfortable for longer journeys
• Avoiding traffic jams

• Set schedule
• Only along fixed routes
• There can be delays or cancellations of trains

Aeroplanes

• Fast
• Suitable for long distances
• Reliable
• Safe

• Air pollution
• Expensive
• Only suitable for longer distances
• Set schedule

On foot

• Good for health
• Free
• No set schedules
• No traffic jams
• Good for the environment

• Only for short distances
• Weather can make it uncomfortable
• Requires suitable clothing

Bicycles

• Cheap
• Good for health
• No set schedules
• Door to door travel

• Only for shorter distances
• Weather can make it uncomfortable
• Can be unsafe cycling on a busy road
• Requires suitable clothing

Ferries

• Comfortable
• You can bring your car on some ferries
• Suitable for reaching remote islands without airports

• Set schedules
• Routes are limited to harbours
• Can take longer than in an aeroplane

Once, canals were the main way of transporting goods inland in the UK, but railways took over. In the UK, roads and railways link the main cities. Large cities have airports, which allow fast air travel to different countries and continents. Coastal towns still serve as important ports and harbours.

During their time in Britain, the Romans built a network of roads connecting the main cities, which allowed them to move soldiers and supplies very quickly. Some of the modern roads in use have been built along the same route the Romans used.

Today, roads are getting repaired, being straightened to shorten the length of the journey and new motorways are being built.

The UK is covered with a road network, which connects remote locations with areas that have a large population.

The largest cities are connected by motorways. Smaller roads link towns and cities. Rural areas have plenty of country roads, linking settlements. Buildings in settlements are connected by streets, avenues or lanes.

Large cities can face congestion problems - there might not be enough roads for all the commuters or the roads might not be wide enough.

Cities along bus routes can face congestions.

There are several ways of improving congestion:

• building a ring road - a route around the city for people who don't need to stop there.
• Car parks on the outskirts of cities, which are connected to the city centre by public transport such as tramways, buses and trains.
• Car-sharing by commuters.
• Discouraging people from driving into city centres by introducing congestion charges or parking only for people who live there.