Advantages and Disadvantages of Roadways | Limitations, Merits and Demerits, Pros and Cons of Roadways

Advantages and disadvantages of Roadways 2022: We have come across various modes through which people, as well as goods, are transported from one place to another. We know that the most common mode of transport is Roadways. People who don’t even have vehicles can use the path of the roadway to reach their destination without any hurdles. The vital role of roadways in the development of a nation and in providing solid infrastructure is remarkable. We can’t even imagine our destination without a road facility. It is subordinate to other modes of transport also. E.g. If someone wants to go to South Africa from India by aeroplane he has to first use the road to reach the airport and then only he can with the help of the means airways can reach his destination. Therefore in this way, it acts as an auxiliary to other modes of transport.

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What are Roadways? Advantages and Disadvantages of Roadways 2022

Roadways are part of a road or portion of the road that is intended for vehicles to run. Each roadway has traffic signals and traffic men to ensure that all people will follow traffic rules. Nowadays solar roadways are also available which are found in foreign nations like America. These solar roadways are also known as smart highways. In India, roadways have been used by people for 5000 years and Ashoka and Chandragupta are said to have constructed roads during their era.

There have been various roads introduced after them by the Mughals and Britishers who invaded India. Based on classification different types of roads are there:

Based on material

  • Earthen roads
  • Gravel roads
  • Murrum roads
  • Kankar roads
  • WBM roads
  • Bituminous roads
  • Concrete roads

Based on topography

  1. Hilly area road
  2. Plain area road

Based on Location and Function

  1. National Highways
  2. State Highways
  3. District roads
  4. Village roads or Rural roads

Based on Traffic volume

  1. Light traffic roads
  2. Medium traffic roads
  3. High traffic roads

Based on Rigidity

  1. Flexible roads
  2. Rigid roads

Based on traffic types

  1. Pedestrian road
  2. Motorways
  3. Cycle tracks

Let us see a few advantages and disadvantages of Roadways.

Advantages of Roadways

Listed are a few advantages of Roadways

  1. Best for a short-distance journey: Roadways are considered to be best for short distances and vehicles are visible, economical, and cost-effective. Delay in goods transit due to loading and unloading of goods can be avoided and they can be transported on time. Handling costs can be avoided.
  2. The cost of maintenance and construction is low: The maintenance cost as compared to other modes of transport is very low as road transport helps in saving the cost of packaging, handling, and connectivity charges. Therefore maintenance cost is low. The cost of construction of roads is also very low.
  3. Different vehicles could run over it: Roadways allow different vehicles whether bicycles to heavy trucks run over it. All these automobiles have tires that run over them smoothly. Few automobiles have to pay a certain toll amount if travelling from one district to another.
  4. It provides door-to-door services: This is the greatest advantage of roadways for people as transporting goods from the warehouse to the place where it has to be transported becomes easy and any person can obtain their product at the door of their house. This reduces cartage charges, loading-unloading expenses, and other transport costs.
  5. Cartage and loading expenses get reduced: Other modes of transport don’t give this facility of door-to-door services. They have to be assisted by roads to provide such services that increase their cost of cartage and loading-unloading charges. Therefore if it will only be road transport these charges get reduced a lot and things also get delivered on time.
  6. Cheaper than other modes of transport: Other transport is a bit expensive as the infrastructure as well as the vehicle used itself is expensive. Therefore the cost of the fare also increases. This makes other transport more expensive as compared to road transport. But railways have now turned out to be cheaper than road transport in many cases. But as it lacks door-to-door services people prefer road transport as compared to railways.
  7. Higher accessibility: Road transport has more accessibility to rural areas or remote areas. This facility makes roadways more beneficial or advantageous over other modes of transport. There are various types of roads available that link two different areas to make things available on time.
  8. Assist other modes of transport: As already discussed, other modes of transport cannot provide door-to-door services and also reach various other modes of transport, we need the assistance of road transport and we can use different vehicles to reach the destination. Therefore we can say it is a feeder to other modes of transport.

Disadvantages of Roadways

Listed are a few disadvantages of Roadways.

  • The long distant journey could not be possible in a short time: Roadways are not suitable for long-distance journeys as there is a speed limit for vehicles, also long-distance journeys are tiring and expensive. As the fuel prices are rising the road transport expenses along with other related expenses has increased.
  • Damages prone: On roadways, vehicles can break down or are prone to accidents. Therefore there is a high risk of unpredictable disasters on roads. Because of this reason, road transport is not considered safe as compared to other modes of transport.
  • Impact of seasons: Season is also one of the factors that can be the reason for accidents or delays in providing goods. Especially in the rainy season when there are chances that the vehicle can slip and the chances of an accident increase.
  • 4 Slow speed: As compared to other modes of transport road transport is much slower. There is a speed limit in every vehicle and to reach one destination one has to give time as compared to airways which make you reach in no time. Therefore the speed of the roadways is slow.
  • 5 Lack of organizational structure: Roadways lack organization and are less structured as compared to other modes of transport. Railways, airways, and waterways have different organizations which are structured. The rates charged on roadways are also random.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Roadways

Comparison Chart On Advantages And Disadvantages Of Roadways

Advantages of RoadwaysDisadvantages of Roadways
Best for a short-distance journeyThe long distant journey could not be possible in a short time
The cost of maintenance and construction is lowDamages prone
Different vehicles could run over itImpact of seasons
It provides door-to-door servicesSlow speed
Cartage and loading expenses get reducedLack of organizational structure
Cheaper than other modes of transport
Higher accessibility
Assist other modes of transport

FAQs on Pros and Cons of Roadways

Question 1.
Which are the most occurring problems with roadways?

Answer:
Heavy traffic and the number of passengers make the roadways very problematic for transportation.

Question 2.
What are two problems with Indian roads?

Answer:
Two problems with Indian roads are:

  • Roads are not adequate for driving
  • Traffic rules have least adhered

Question 3.
What are the advantages of roadways?

Answer:
The three benefits of roads are: (a) The development cost of streets is a lot lower than that of railroad lines and is a lot of conservative in transportation over brief distances. (b) Roads can navigate similarly on more taken apart and undulating geology. (c) It offers house-to-house support.

Question 4.
What is the importance of roadways?

Answer:
Interfacing various urban communities and towns and even towns, roads serve as a vital method for vehicles and individuals to make a trip starting with one spot and then onto the next. Among the most widely recognized instances of land transport through roads are transports, trucks, cruisers, carts, and bikes.

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