Page 33 - Social Studies 7

Lesson Infrastructure of Development: Transportation
1.6

Nepal has total road network of 80,078 km. That includes 26,935 km
FACTS roads constructed and being maintained by Department of Roads(DOR)
to Understand and 53,143 km road constructed by the government local bodies. Of
the total 53,143 km local rural road, only 1,697 km has been black-
topped, 38,898km is earthen road and 12,548km has been gravelled.
Source: Himalayan News Service
Article Published on
July 13, 2015 AD

Infrastructures refer to the basic facilities service and installations needed for
the functioning of a community or society. Transportation is also one of the
infrastructures of development. It is the act of transporting or the state of being
transported often of people, goods, etc. In other words it is the movement of people
and goods from one place to another. Transport infrastructure consists of roads
railways, airways, waterways, canals and pipelines and terminals. Automobiles,
bicycles buses, trains, trunks, helicopters, aircraft, etc. are the means of
transportation used for travelling.
Transport is one of the most important infrastructures of development as it enables
trade between persons, which is essential for the development of civilizations. It
facilitates trade, exchange and travel. In the ancient time, people used to travel
through bullock carts, horses, camel, etc. but now humans can also travel in air
as well as space.

Means of transportation

There are mainly five important means of transportation. They are explained
briefly.

a. Roadways

Roadway or road transport is the
transport of passengers or goods on
roads. Though Nepal is a landlocked
and mountainous country, it has made
considerable progress in roadways.
Roadways are the best and prominent
means of transport in Nepal as it is
connected to most of the part of the
country. In comparison to other means vehicles running on the road

33 Dynamic Social Studies and Population Education - Book VII