The various means of Transport available in India are:

Road Transport

In our country, we have a good and large network of roads. Roads can be built even in places where other means of transport are not possible. We have kutcha roads and pucca roads in our country. In villages, most of the roads are kutcha roads.

The farmers mostly use bullock-carts to carry the goods to towns and cities. Some farmers have tractors; they attach a trolley with the tractor to carry goods. Some villages are connected with pucca roads. The pucca roads provide the means for fast and comfortable travel. The roads in our country connect the towns and cities, even in remote areas like mountains and desert.

Rail Transport

Railways are an important means of land transport. The India railway system is today the largest in Asia and the second largest in the world. The Indian railways carry crores of passengers and heavy and bulky goods from one part of country to another. All the important towns and cities are connected by the railways.

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Railways provide a cheap and fast means of transport. Many state capitals are connected to the country’s capital by the super fast, ‘Rajdhani Express’. Shatabdi Express has been introduced which connects important cities. In many times of crisis, such as floods, famines and wars, railways carry men and materials to places where they are most needed. In big cities, we have local train service also. Kolkata is the only city in our country, which has an underground railway system, called the Metro service.

Water Transport

Ships and boats are means of water transport. Ships sail in the oceans and seas, carrying all types of goods from one part of the world to another. India has many ports along its long coastline. Can you name some of them?

Steamers and boats sail along big rivers carrying passengers and goods from town to town, along their banks in India. Big rivers like the Ganga and Brahmaputra are used extensively as an inland means of water transport. The backwaters of Kerala are also widely used for water transport. Water transport may be slow as compared to road, rail or air transport but it is a cheap way to transport bulky goods over long distances.

Air Transport

Aeroplanes are the fastest means of transport. All our major cities are connected to one another and to almost every part of the world through air transport. Air transport has made not only our country but also the entire world very small.

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Now we can easily go to different countries, for studying, working or just for travelling and learn about the customs and habits of their people. Food, medicine, etc., can reach those places where rail and road transport cannot reach. Helicopters and aeroplanes are pressed into service in times of floods, other natural calamities or accidents However, air travel is expensive. It is also not possible to transport heavy and bulky goods by air.

The development of fast means of transport has increased the trade not only within the country, but also between different countries of the world. It is now possible to buy goods produced in other parts of the country, and the world, from our local market.