Urban passenger transport: types, routes and rules of use

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:41

Urban passenger transport (synonyms: public, communal) is intended for use by the majority of the population. Most often it works on a paid basis. Most means of public transport are capable of transporting a large number of people both at a time and in a day. In this case, the movement is carried out in accordance with the route established by the transport company. The exception is various types of taxis.

What is public transport

Public transport involves the mass transportation of people. City passenger transport does not include service and school buses and cars, military trains, buses transporting athletes to the match, as well as personal vehicles for the movement of company employees, buses for sightseers, pleasure boats, etc. Such transport has other functions and purposes. Also, elevators and escalators are not public transport,because they only function within one specific building or facility.

Types of passenger transport

Buses are the most common type of passenger public transport. They are actively used all over the world. There are a huge number of bus models. The main fuel used so far is gasoline and diesel fuel.
Trolleybus is one of the most popular types of public urban transport in Russia and CIS countries. It is equipped with an electric motor with continuous feeding from a contact network of wires. Often used in Western Europe, where it is considered a subspecies of the bus.
Tram is a traditional type of urban transport in Russia and the CIS. It uses narrow gauge railway track and is powered by a contact network. Equipped with an electric motor. It is an intermediate option between a trolleybus and an electric train.
Trains are actively used all over the world, but in Russia and the CIS countries this type of transport has received the greatest development. For movement, a broad-gauge railway is used, as well as a contact network (for electric trains). The locomotive is powered by an electric, diesel, or (rarely) steam engine. The development of this type of transport proceeded in the sequence: steam locomotives - diesel locomotives - electric locomotives. Now they use mainly electric locomotives and (less often) diesel locomotives.
Monorail transport is used rarely and to a limited extent. Stands out as a separate mode of transport.
Sudah. Actively appliedworldwide. These include boats, ships, steamboats, sailing ships, yachts. Currently, sailing ships are almost never used. The main type of fuel is oil refinery products.
Airplanes. An actively developing and relatively modern type of public transport. Distributed throughout the world, especially in developed countries. In Russia they are used less often. The movement is carried out through the air using the principle of jet thrust. Oil products are still used as fuel.
Route taxis. A relatively new type of urban transport. Now it is widely used in Russia and the post-Soviet countries. Transportation of people in minibuses is organized by transport private companies. Unlike taxis, the route is determined by these companies and the city, not by the passenger.
Passenger road transport (taxi). A taxi driver can work alone or for a private company. In the second case, fares will be significantly lower.

Bus

Bus - urban passenger transport with autonomous power supply. The city bus is also called street wheeled transport. It is convenient for its maneuverability and lack of attachment to rails or wires. It can even move on dirt roads. One bus carries from 200 to 4500 passengers per hour. The maximum value for city buses is 9-10 thousand people. It is actively used as the main and auxiliary vehicle. All cities have their own network of bus routes. In some momentthe route of movement can be adjusted or changed. This is usually done when expanding cities and adding new districts.

In small towns and villages, the bus is practically the only form of transport available. In larger settlements, it is usually combined with fixed-route taxis. The disadvantages of using such vehicles so far are:

operating costs,
air and soil pollution,
noise pollution,
need for frequent repairs due to breakdowns.

The gradual transition to electric buses will eliminate all these shortcomings.

Bus in Russia

In our country, bus transport has traditionally been widely used. It is used both for intracity, and for suburban and intercity transportation. More than 1,500 settlements in Russia have bus routes and a bus fleet. The average distance traveled by a bus passenger is 6 km. Despite the prevalence of intercity bus transportation, it is still considered an intracity mode of transport. Buses often break down when traveling long distances. Also in this case, serious accidents are not uncommon, mainly due to driver fatigue on a long journey.

Bus stations have been created in major cities of Russia, similar in design and operation to railway stations. About the arrival, departure, flight delay, etc., bus station employees notify passengers byspeaker.

The role of the trolley bus in passenger transport

Trolleybus as a mode of transport is not so popular and is used mainly in large cities. Intercity trolleybus routes (trolleybus lines) exist in Crimea and Donbass, where they have existed since Soviet times. However, on a global scale, it is rather exotic.

The trolleybus uses an overhead contact network of wires. Therefore, it belongs to the category of trackless electric transport. The maximum number of passengers carried is 8-9 thousand people per hour. The advantages of using this type of transport are environmental friendliness, low operating costs, and relative reliability. At the same time, there are significant expenses in the construction of trolleybus lines and low maneuverability. Quite often there are violations of the contact of the trolleybus with the cantata wire network, which leads to a forced stop and downtime of the vehicle directly on the route.

Trolleybuses are actively used in Russia and CIS countries, mainly in large and medium-sized cities. With a population of more than 250,000 people. the use of this mode of transport may become appropriate.

Tram as a means of transportation

Tram is also a ground urban passenger transport, typical for large cities in Russia and the countries of the former USSR. However, it gradually goes out of fashion and is now used less and less. Moscow trams have a long history, where they appeared a very long time ago. One suchthe vehicle can serve up to 12-15 thousand people per hour. In the past, trams were popular and carried more passengers than any other type of urban transport. They are considered environmentally friendly, but at the same time quite noisy devices that can break down on the route, which can cause traffic jams. Also a disadvantage is the low maneuverability. Nevertheless, trams are a popular form of transport in Moscow.

Metro - underground transport of large cities

This is also a rail mode of transport, but much more powerful than a tram. The metro can already be classified as a traditional means of transport, while it continues to develop constantly. In Moscow alone, new stations are constantly being introduced and new lines are being built. Many cities have plans to expand the metro network. Much attention is paid to the design of the stations (they are mostly underground). Each of them has a unique, unique look and its own individual characteristics. But the variety of subway cars and locomotives is incomparably lower than that of buses.

The capacity of the subway is very high. In an hour, one train can serve up to 40-50 thousand people. The construction of the subway is expedient in the largest cities with a population of over 1 million people. At the same time, the construction of the subway itself requires serious investments.

Route taxis

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, this semi-commercial mode of transport became very popular. Minibusesthey do not have a clear link to stops (although recently the authorities of the Russian regions are trying to limit their freedom of movement), which is very convenient, especially for people with limited mobility. Their routes can be changed at any time. The disadvantages of using them are that they are stronger than buses, load the streets and contribute to environmental pollution. This type of transport is also actively used for suburban traffic, and in intercity transportation they are used infrequently. The cost of transporting people by minibus has risen rapidly in recent years.

Trains and electric trains

This is a traditional type of transportation for medium and long distances. As a rule, they do not pollute the environment too much and are more reliable and safe than buses. This type of passenger transport has practically no disadvantages. However, a relative disadvantage is the high price for travel on long-distance trains. They also have a relatively low speed compared to an airplane. Within cities, commuter trains are used, and sometimes monorail transport. Train ticket prices are relatively low. The downside is that there are not many stops and train routes within the cities. But they are optimally suited for suburban transportation.

Air transport

Air transport is widespread all over the world. In Russia, routes leading to the resorts of the Black Sea coast are popular. The undoubted advantage of aviation is the high speed of movement, whichallows you to drastically reduce travel time. Prices for plane tickets are close to those for long-distance trains. However, this mode of transport also has its drawbacks: dependence on the weather and a small risk of crashes, which often have tragic consequences. However, statistics show that it is much more dangerous to use a private car for long-distance travel.

Water transport

It is divided into river and sea. In Russia, river water transport is more developed. In general, only a small number of passengers use the services of this type of transport, although in ancient times it was of great importance.

Urban Passenger Transport Management

Relevant ministries and departments have been established to manage various modes of transport. Transport system management implies a set of measures aimed at coordinating the work of transport elements both among themselves and in connection with the external environment. Driving a vehicle requires knowing the rules of the road, paying taxes, distributing paid and free sections of the road network, taking into account the peculiarities of traffic when transporting a large number of passengers, etc. All this determines the rules for using urban passenger transport.

How public transport will develop in the future

Many countries around the world are developing projects to electrify various modes of transport, including public transport. The leaders in this respect are Europe, China and Japan. First to electrictraction is planned to be transferred by buses. In some cities of China, this process is almost completed. Part of the buses can be reoriented to the use of hydrogen fuel. The likely timeframe for such a transfer is 10-15 years. Electric taxis are no less actively developing. In the United States, all these processes are slower, but they can accelerate after the change of the country's president. At the moment, the Trump administration is slowing down the implementation of such projects.

A little later, passenger ships and small-capacity aircraft will be transferred to electric engines. As for large liners, the situation is still uncertain.

The gradual transfer of transport to electric traction will solve environmental problems, reduce noise levels, improve the technical characteristics of vehicles, and make their operation cheaper.