Overview of different transport modes-

Buses

Metros and trams

Railways

Cars

Buses

 Buses provide the most flexible form of public transport. Routes may be quickly changed to meet demand. Unlike tracks roads are usually freely accessible to operators, it is easy to integrate new services into the existing infrastructure. Double deck buses offer a high ratio of passengers carried to road space used, and for many of the most densely populated regions on earth such as Hong Kong, buses are indispensable.

 Why do people not simply use buses instead of cars where congestion has become a serious problem?

Some reasons given are ` They don’t get me where I am going` or ` They take ages to get there’ or `They can be threatening’ especially for older people, or `I spend ages waiting for one, then three turn up’. A great deterrence for wider bus usage is that making an unfamiliar journey can require extensive research as there is little in the way of a unified metropolitan plan as is the case for metros. Consequently buses tend to be most popular for regular journeys or short distance travel.

Metros and trams

Having undergone a period of underfunding especially in the British Isles, these are beginning to make a comeback as road congestion tilts journey times in their favour.

Underground systems offer high flexibility in route choice; they do not require valuable urban surface land. Networks often offer a cognisant way to navigate through unfamiliar cities. Journey times are shortened, as connections at underground junctions are not compromised by other land uses.

 Unfortunately, Underground’s require more passenger transition space [staircases, corridors etc.] and this space may be gloomy [anti-graffiti surfaces, low light levels and ‘undefendable’ public space] which can depress ones experience of the journey. Underground systems tend to involve a very high capital expenditure per mile of construction.

Overground systems are usually cheaper than the underground but they may displace other traffic and increase local road congestion. The journey quality is often superior for the passenger than underground as there is no shortage of daylight and there is a visual connection with the space traversed to enjoy. Overground systems can integrate well into the urban fabric and if well landscaped can bring economic benefit to areas serviced.

 Journeys on these systems tend to be characterised by frequent stops and short delays between connections. Personal space is often limited which yields self-defensive behaviour of minimizing interaction with other passengers increasing a sense of anonymity. High passenger volumes at peak hours may instill sensations of ‘rat-can’ travel.

Railways

 Less flexible than buses, the rail network does offer advantages of speed and comfort to the travelling public. Tracks are generally free of friction with competing transport modes and so should be more reliable and faster than road transportation. Well-managed systems offer greater comfort to the passenger. The economies of scale are such that amenities such as toilets, food, phones etc. are viable. Generally railways are more convenient and spacious for middle and long range journeys.

 As with all existing public transport webs, railways tend to connect major urban hubs, and so must be used in conjunction with local networks like trams; therefore the door to door journey time is often dependent on the successful space and time integration of mainline stations with local feeder networks.

Railways do have expensive overheads. The ratio of track space to numbers travelling may be much less than a primary road [the distance between [albeit larger] vehicles can usually be measured in miles rather than meters]. Maintaining the network requires labor intensive signelling unlike the self-directing nature of road traffic. On seasonal or marginal routes there is often a considerable amount of empty metal carried along for each passenger? A waste of energy, particularly given the excessive weight of many trains. Fast trains are often very fuel inefficient and their operation may lead to tax monies diverted out of critical national services such as public healthcare.

Cars

Cars afford the greatest personal comfort, flexibility and convenience. They have been of major significance in shaping the low-density metropolis of this century. The passenger has the advantage of a large personal bubble during transportation; one can enjoy personal entertainment and wider refreshment opportunities. One is less prone to close exposure to anti-social members of the travelling public. Cars offer ease in transporting shopping or personal cargo. Cars are an ‘aspiration item’ that helps fuel some peoples drive for success in progressive cultures.

The British public is being sold the line that building new roads is not the answer to future road congestion. Are we facing a future of clogged  national arteries and national disadvantage compared to countries who create a healthy road infrastructure that leaves no areas blighted through poor access.

 The disadvantages of excessive dependence on the car are well documented. Although emissions are becoming cleaner they are a concern especially in cities that have little natural ventilation, such as Mexico. Cars do have higher accident rates than some forms of public transport, although again the figures are improving. [I was surprised to find that the total annual number of road fatalities in the U.K. was higher when reliable records began in 1926 than in recent years]. Congestion is a source of stress and this is set to increase as car ownership rises together with the rise in car dependant urban centers such as multiplex cinemas and shopping complexes. Without substantial developments in automobiles that use renewable energy, the long-term viability of private transport looks unclear.