transportation a major pillar for human life

Roads and rail services are of the essence to keep a country moving, enabling passengers and freights to be carried safely and efficiently. Thus, when the question arises whether a government should allocate more budget to railways or roads, people seem to have divided opinions. I strongly believe that a government should give priority to railway network. First of all, railway is said to be the safest form of transport. Despite occasional derailments, breakdowns and crashes, railways have maintained their commanding lead as the safest mode of transport for passengers and freight alike. The figures show that the fatality risk for car occupants is 75 times higher than for rail passengers. When it comes to injury risk, the gap between the transport modes is even bigger; the risk of injury on a car journey is 100 times higher than on a train. In addition, railways are more environmentally-friendly than the motor vehicles. This is because public transit is less energy and carbon-intensive than automobiles. Even a cursory examination of the amount of energy used to move one passenger per mile reinforces this belief. Therefore, a modal shift away from private vehicles toward rail can potentially reduce emissions and improve air quality. Finally, as the population of the world is increasing, the country’s high-density roads are facing severe capacity constraints, thereby propelling governments to lower their budget on roads and invest more money in a faster and dependable transportation system. This investment is bound to be a solution to eliminate the need for capacity enhancement, upgradation, and creation of new passenger and freight corridors. In conclusion, I believe that the government should invest more in railways than the roads in order to develop eco-friendly, safe and efficient transport infrastructure, leading to the accelerated growth of the country itself.