5 Elements of Sustainable Transport
BMNL
The elements of sustainable transport are about more than just the amount of fuel used. Whether it’s about a state or country-wide transport company or a smaller business that delivers freight around the town or city, sustainability is important because it not only helps to save the earth’s resources, but saves on costs for the company, something that should always be of importance.
Even though one train can take a great deal more freight than one truck, it is not nearly as efficient or as fast. Road rather than rail transport is much preferred these days, because trucks can deliver right to their destination without the need for that extra offloading and reloading onto trucks at both ends of the rail journey which requires even more labour and fuel resources.
The 5 elements of sustainable transport are as follows: –
Fuel economy. Better fuel economy results in fewer carbon emissions to pollute the atmosphere as well as improving costs per kilometre for the company. This can be done by improving the weight of vehicles and making them more aerodynamic as well as increasing the efficiency of engines in fuel and oil consumption.
Occupancy or load. Public transport offers a more efficient means of fuel consumption because approximately the same amount is used whether there is one passenger or box of freight or many. Of course, smaller vehicles are used for smaller loads, but this cannot always be done, depending on what is being carried.
Electrification is considered one of the best ways to save on fuel and emissions. Electric cars cost less to run and have a smaller carbon footprint than even hybrid cars. Unfortunately, technology has not yet found a way to make electric trucks viable. However, some freight – think pizzas – can be carried on electric motor scooters or bikes. And electric public transport has achieved a lot of success in some countries.
Pedal power can be seen in carrying special documents that need to be delivered quickly and can’t be sent via email. This is quite limited, but certainly means no carbon emissions at all, even if it requires more human energy output.
Urbanisation is another important part of sustainability as being eco-friendly is also about distance travelled. The longer distance travelled, the more fuel is used, so people in the cities of the world might be said to have a smaller carbon footprint. That said, when the traffic is heavy the time taken to go from one point to another is far longer than it would be in the country.
When all 5 are carefully considered and ways are found to reduce the use of fuel and other resources while still being convenient and quick, the earth will become a cleaner place and our resources will last longer.
