Page 48 - SST Class 05

Unit III : Transport and Communication

8 Means of Transport

Transport and I

Thinking of life without transports is mere fancy, so important they are to us. We need
them not only for travel, but also to get things for our routine life. Without them, life
will be tough.

We need the means of transport to transport passengers and goods from one place to
another. You cannot think of developing an area without them. We have reached the
stage of modern transports over a long time. Early Man travelled on foot, carrying his

loads on his shoulders. When he saw wood floating on water, he thought about the
boat. He also found that pulling heavy
loads along the ground was easier than
carrying them, and he thought about the
sledge. The invention of the wheel
changed his life altogether. In fact, the
wheel can be called the most important

invention in human civilization.
James Watt An old steam engine
The next major turning point of human
civilization came about in 1769 when James Watt invented the steam engine (in fact, its
condenser to use steam more efficiently). With this, life was bound to change like
never before. How people travelled and carried their goods underwent a sea change.

New uses of this engine were found, and it came to be used in ships and trains.
Modifications were made to the engine for use in other things. Different types of

engines helped to invent different types of vehicles.
With the passage of time, our transports have become more varied, more rapid, more
efficient and more comfortable. In the beginning, only coal was used as fuel. However,
a variety of fuels are commonly used today, such as petrol, diesel and electricity.

Types of Transport

The means of transport can be broadly divided into three types : 1. Means of land
transport, 2. Means of water transport, and 3. Means of air transport.

48 Contemporary Social Science-5