Transportation
Transportation is a system for carrying goods or people for one place to another place using vehicles or a facility consisting of the means and equipment necessary for the movement of passengers or goods. ( Collins English Dictionary ). Transportation makes people do anything faster, more safely, and more comfortable. They are many kinds of vehicles, such as motor cars, motor trucks and electric vehicles for Maritime Transport (ships, boats, etc), Rail Transport (train), Aviation (planes), Spaceflight (jets).
The history of transport changed as the development of human culture. For most of human history the only forms of transport apart from walking were using domesticated animals or transport in small boats. The first earth tracks were created by humans carrying goods and often followed trails. Tracks would be naturally created at points of high traffic. Animals were domesticated, horses, oxen and donkeys are creators of tracks. With the growth of trade, tracks were often widened to accommodate animal traffic. Later, developed tracks used to drag loads. Animal-drawn wheeled vehicles probably developed in Sumer in the Ancient Near East in the 4th or 5th millennium BC and spread to Europe and India in the 4th millennium BC and China in about 1200 BC. The Romans had a significant need for good roads to extend and maintain their empire and developed Roman roads. The modern history of road transport grows by the development of new vehicles such as new models of horse-drawn vehicles, bicycles, motor cars, motor trucks and electric vehicles for maritime transport, rail transport, aviation, spaceflight. The history of transportation is largely one of technological innovation. Advances in technology have allowed people to travel farther, explore more territory, and expand their influence over larger and larger areas. As new inventions and discoveries were applied to transportation problems, travel time decreased while the ability to move more and larger loads increased. Innovation continues today, and transportation researchers are working to find new ways to reduce costs and increase transportation efficiency.
Indonesian's transport system has been shaped by the economic resource base of an archipelago with thousands of islands, and the distribution of its more than 200 million people highly concentrated on Java. All transport modes play a role in the country’s transport system and are generally complementary rather than competitive. Road transport is dominant, with a total system length of 370,500 km in 2003. The railway system has four unconnected networks in Java and Sumatra to transport main commodities and long-distance passenger traffic. Sea transport is very important for economic integration and for domestic and foreign trade. It make the government developed, one significant port city. The function of air transport is alternative way when land or water transport is troubled. Because all major cities can be reached by passenger plane. More vehicles are used for transportation on Indonesia's roads. For example bus in most areas can connect between major cities, especially on Sumatra, Java, and Bali frequently. Many services are available with no stops until the final destination. In more remote areas, and between smaller towns, we can use minibuses or minivans. Buses and vans are also the primary form of transportation within cities. Often, these are operated as share taxis, running semi-fixed routes. Many cities and towns have some form of transportation for carrying people, such as taxis, bus rapid transit system (such as TransJakarta), and motorized autorickshaws (bajaj). Cycle rickshaws, called becak in Indonesia, are common in many cities.
Transportation gives some problems in Indonesia, such as traffic jam (over crowded) from most parts of central city, because the supply of infrastructures can not keep up with the growth of mobility. Many public transit systems are over or under used, so increased traffic has impacts on public activities which once crowded the streets such as markets, parades and processions, games, and community interactions. It is difficult for pedestrians to go anywhere. Then growing traffic in urban areas is linked with a growing number of accidents and fatalities, especially in developing countries. Beside that, pollution, including noise, generated by circulation has become a serious problem to the quality of life and even the health of urban populations and the last, vehicles can cause global warming.
To make a good transport system in Indonesia to be low-cost and high-frequency, In some areas, the automobile is the only mode for which infrastructures are provided. The government have to make a transportation system with good facilities, public transit, public transport better. For example building more parking space, free ways (tolls), roads and widening existing ones where transport vehicles load or unload passengers or good. Keep Traffic signal synchronization, Tuning to the time and direction of traffic flows. Make a rule, like HOV lanes. (High Occupancy Vehicle) for vehicles with 2 or more passengers (buses, vans, carpool, or three in one program) have exclusive access to a less congested lane, and Public transit. Offering alternatives to driving that can significantly improve efficiency, notably if it circulates on its own infrastructure (subway, light rail, buses on reserved lanes, etc.), people plant trees in their yards and use a good gasoline to substract many of smoke. It is better for employers bike to work, people use bicycle to go to work then vehicles. To decrease traffic accident people have to drive carefully. Use public transportation then private car.
