Transport

• In 2007 transport accounted for 5.5% of India’s GDP.
• Transport services are better developed in urban areas than rural areas.
• Most popular method of transport is road transport.
• Road transport Accounts for 90% of passenger and 65% of freight traffic in 2009.
• Due to low income levels, rate of car ownership is low, 5 per 1,000 people (average 500 per 1,000 in developed world).
• India has a road network of 2.1 million km. However roads are congested and of poor quality.
• In 2007 only 47% of roads were paved.
• Dirt roads still exist in many rural areas especially in Northern Mountains.
• The government has introduced a 5 year plan to improve transport.
• The government has introduced the National Highway Development Programme (NHDP).
• The National Highway Development Programme (NHDP) aim is to increase connectivity between major cities.
• The National Highway Development Programme hopes to upgrade 12,000 km of roadway from 2 lanes to 4 lanes. It also contains an accelerated road development programme for the Northern region.
• There are over 63,000 km of rail lines in India.
• In rural areas the rail system is outdated with some steam engines from colonial times still in use.
• India rail is the world’s largest employer, employing 1.1 million people.
• In 2007 India rail catered for 17 million passengers and carried 2 million tonnes of freight.
• The biggest problem with India's rail transport is capacity. Suburban rail services in cities such as New Delhi and Kolkata are seriously overcrowded.
• India has 12 major ports.
• Mumbai and Navi Mumbai are major international ports.
• Some ports lack modern container and crane services.
• As part of the governments’ 5 year plan, 11 ports will be upgraded in the National Maritime Development Plan.
• India has 123 airports, 12 of these are international airports.
• In 2007 96 million passengers travelled through Indian airports.
• The national airline of India is Air India.
• Air India has a fleet of 159 aircraft.
• As part of the governments 5 year plan the airports of Mumbai and New Delhi will be expanded and a new airport will be built in Bangalore.
• Major investment needed to upgrade India’s transport system to international standards.