What is traffic congestion?

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Characteristics of urban transport

Variety of transport modes - to cater to the different needs of people

mode of transport -- type of transport used to facilitate the movement of people or goods from one place to another

can be classified as:

private transport -- transport owned by individuals

public transport -- transport provided by the government or private companies, such as buses, trains and taxis.

transport modes

trains and buses that carry a large number of passengers in a shorter period of time

rental car and shuttle bus services which are not found in rural areas

example

Bangkok - the 'tuk-tuk' are able to weave in and out of traffic

Density of transport networks -- a system of transport routes connecting a set of nodes

nodes -- a place where lines in a network cross or join, are junctions or terminals

route -- the connection between 2 nodes

the number of routes and nodes determines the density of transport networks (the greater the number of routes and nodes, the greater the network density)

a dense transport network is one which is highly developed and well-connected (easier for people to get around the city)

Quality of transport infrastructure -- facilities such as roads, railway tracks and bus terminals

can be measured by:

capacity

> large capacity - able to move large numbers of people at any one time

efficiency

> efficient - frequent services to move people quickly

reliability

> dependable and reliable - transport system can be depended upon to move people constantly, on time, and with few interruptions

safety

> safe - little danger of car accidents, bus collisions or train derailing and presence of safety features such as track barriers and emergency buttons on trains

comfort level

> comfortable - clean travelling environment allows for a comfortable commute

high-quality transport infrastructure -- well paved, well-lit road with many lanes for vehicles to pass through quickly and smoothly

low-quality transport infrastructure -- road with potholes

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Traffic congestion

traffic congestion -- a situation where there are more vehicles than the road can handle

characteristics

slow travelling speeds

vehicular queues that last for more than 15 minutes

queues - caused by slow travelling speeds combined with a large number of vehicles on the road

travelling speed can be as slow as 10km/h