Road transport is a type of transport carried out on roads, highways and streets, which may or may not be paved. The transport in question moves goods, raw materials, animals, people and many others.
In this type of transport, automotive vehicles such as cars, buses and trucks are used.
The first highways emerged in the late nineteenth century, replacing carriage roads. However, the effective development of road transport took place in the 20th century, as a result of the growth of the industry automobile, one of the symbols of capitalism, rapidly surpassing rail transport in the movement of people and loads.
Despite its importance, it has high costs, especially when compared to other types of transport, such as waterway and rail, for example. This is due to the high amounts paid for oil, including the periodic maintenance of the vehicle (tires, overhauls, engine, among others).
The construction and maintenance of the roads on which vehicles travel require high financial resources, especially when the terrain of the region is uneven. In this case, it is essential to carry out complex engineering works, such as the construction of tunnels, viaducts, bridges, landfills, among others.
The means of transport in question is recommended for traveling short distances, as it is very dynamic and agile, the highways make it possible to search for alternative routes, a factor that does not happen in other means, such as the railway, by example.
Road transport is the most used in several countries around the world. In the European Union, its use is quite widespread, in addition, it has shown an increase in relation to number of tons of cargo transported by motor vehicles and an expansion in the network road. In Europe, the combined use of transport is common, in some stretches of the route the trucks are transported on train cars.
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By Eduardo de Freitas
Graduated in Geography
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
FRANCISCO, Wagner de Cerqueira and. "Road transport"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/geografia/rodovias.htm. Accessed on June 28, 2021.