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Encyclopedia :
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Public transport |
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Public transportserving as a busPublic transport comprises all transport systems in which the passengers do not travel in their own vehicles. It is also called public transit or mass transit. While it is generally taken to mean rail and bus services, wider definitions would include scheduled airline services, ferries, taxicab services etc. — any system that transports members of the general public. The term rapid transit refers to fast public transport in and around cities, such as metro systems. Public transport can be faster than other modes of travel; prime examples are in cities where road congestion can be avoided, and for long distance travel where much higher speeds are possible than are permitted on roads. HistoryConveyances for public hire are as old as the first manned ferries, and the earliest public transport was water transport, for on land people walked or rode an animal. Some historic forms of public transport are the stagecoach, travelling an appointed route from inn to inn, and the horse-drawn boat carrying paying passengers, which was a feature of canal systems from their 17th-century origins. The omnibus, the first organized public transit system within a city, appears to have been originated in Nantes, France, in 1826. Since 1876, the Sundbåt ("Harbor Boat") of Norwegian coastal city Kristiansund N has been carrying passengers between the four islands that the city is built on. Still running, the Sundbåt is the world's oldest regular public transport service in continuous operation.
Modern forms of public transportSome of these types are often not for use by the general public, e.g. elevators in offices and apartment buildings, buses for personnel or school children, freight trains, etc.
Nodes and stops In addition one can alight from and usually board a taxi at any road where stopping is allowed. Some fixed route buses allow getting on and off at suitable unmarked locations along that route, typically called a hail-and-ride section. Ticket systems(See also fare).
Sometimes public transport is free, and thus no tickets are needed, such as in Hasselt in Belgium. FundingFunding for public transport systems differ widely, from systems which are run as unsubsidised commercial enterprises to systems that are free of charge: Other transportation services may be commercial, but receive benefits from the government compared to a normal company, e.g.,
Another reason for subsidies for public transit are the provision of mobility to those who cannot afford or are physically incapable of using an automobile and those who reject its use on environmental or safety grounds. United StatesIn the United States, operations of most public transit services are financially subsidized by local and state governments, who provide small amounts of matching funds to receive 80% capital grant aid from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation. This agency administers programs which provide funding and support services to state and local agencies which operate a wide range of public transportation services. These include local urban and suburban bus and paratransit services, light rail, heritage streetcar systems, cable car, subway, rapid transit, and commuter rail services. Special rural transportation programs of the FTA and some state governments provide assistance for bus and paratransit services in some areas. Hong KongIn Hong Kong MTR Corporation Limited and KCR Corporation are given the rights to utilise lands near stations, depots or tracks for property development. Profits from land development covers the partial cost of construction, but not operation, of the urban rail systems. Similar arrangments are available to the ferry piers of franchised ferry service providers. Franchised bus operators are exempted from paying tax on diesel. Social issuesClass conflictPublic transport facilities are sometimes used by homeless people. Because such persons are usually mentally ill and lack regular access to showers or a clean change of clothes, they often exude a strong odor which many public transport users find annoying. Such persons often use bus shelters and train stations as temporary homes. They may relieve themselves in such public facilities or even aboard a public transport vehicle. Public transport as a sleeping placePublic transport and its terminal buildings are sometimes used by homeless people and budget tourists as a sleeping place. This can vary from the tourist who travels on purpose at night in order to sleep while travelling and dispense with the cost of a hotel, to people for whom the 'sleeping accommodation' is the purpose, and the displacement of the vehicle a somewhat inconvenient irrelevance. For the latter a key requirement is that travelling through the night costs less than a nearby hotel. This may especially be the case with a rail or bus pass. Where the homeless can sleep One example is the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) bus route 22 [1], dubbed 'Hotel 22', between Palo Alto, California and San Jose, California, (Silicon Valley), in the United States. A pass for 24 hours costs 4 dollars and one for a month 45 dollars, much less than a hotel, house or apartment. The line is quite popular with homeless people. Where tourists or commuters can sleepAn example of this is the Interurban rail services operated by CityRail out of Sydney, Australia. Fairly comfortable trains operate as moving accommodation between Sydney and Lithgow or Newcastle during the night, trips of approximately 2½ hours. Age, Disability and Sole Parent pensioner excursion fares are $3.30 and $2.20 (Australian Dollars) for an all day ticket. Wealthier commuters from the Central Coast, Blue Mountains and South Coast also commute to well paying jobs in Sydney on CityRail Interurban rail services, and are often known for sleeping on services during the morning peak to compensate for the early rise. It is customary not to speak on such services, to give evil stares to people who (knowingly or otherwise) use their voice above the slightest whisper without moving into the vestibule, and to give even filthier looks to any train guard who dares to use the public address system when disembarking from such services. CrimeSometimes having public transport (especially rail transport) nearby one's home is considered a dis advantage because providing easy access also facilitates violent crime by the poorest of the poor (those who cannot afford to rent, borrow or buy private vehicles and lack the intelligence to steal one without getting caught). For example, a few residents of Orinda, California have been assaulted or murdered at random in their own homes by transients who rode Bay Area Rapid Transit trains to the Orinda station and then walked around until they spotted a suitable house to attack. Such crimes simply do not occur in other wealthy San Francisco Bay Area towns like Danville or Los Altos Hills which have no train service and are extremely difficult to access by bus. Also public transport users are often more susceptible to crime committed by one another — that is, a person who commutes by public transport is more likely to be mugged or pickpocketed just because he will be in close physical contact with the bodies of many more persons, as opposed to driving to work. Many transit agencies use police and cameras onboard vehicles and in terminals to prevent such occurrences. Also, many public transport users do not have to worry about car theft, people breaking into their car, or carjacking, where the car is taken from the occupants by force. See also
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