TRANSPORT SYSTEMS � PAGE * MERGEFORMAT �1�

What should the Government do to make our transport systems work better?

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_INTRODUCTION_

During the twentieth century, human beings witnessed a revolution in transportation technology. The way in which people and goods moved around the world changed dramatically. The nineteenth century, of course, also had its transportation revolution, as railroads and steam ships became dominant, and these forms of mass travel did not disappear during the twentieth century. Transport by sea continued to play a key role in the movement of people and cargoes, as ships became bigger and faster, culminating in giant super tankers used to transport oil around the world.

Railroads also evolved, shifted to electric and diesel power. By the late twentieth century, high-speed trains whisked passengers to their destinations at speeds of up to 270 kilometres per hour. The internal combustion engine led to widespread use of automobiles, buses, and trucks. Trucks, for example, would provide fierce competition for the railroads in the movement of goods across land. The development of aircraft also transformed travel around the globe. The use of airplanes to carry passengers and cargoes greatly reduced travel time. Journeys across the oceans were now measured in hours rather than in days and weeks.

_GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES TO IMPROVE THE TRANSPORT SYSTEM_

In case of the transport industry, the public perception of risk is at variance with actual numbers. For the analysis, the risks are scrutinized for routine transportation and accidents. The assessment of accidents is done by calculating the risks for a collective population travelling, living and working along the transportation route, considering the probability of possible transportation related accidents. In the past, the nature of risks occurring in the transport industry was more or less related to the vehicle or passenger accidents (Willett, 2006, 109-124). However, the coverage of risk in the transport industry has also expanded to terrorist activities the management of...

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