Road transport or road transportation is a type of transport using roads . Transport on roads can be roughly grouped into the transportation of goods and transportation of people. In many countries licensing requirements and safety regulations ensure a separation of the two industries. Movement along roads may be by bike , automobile , bus , truck , or by animal such as horse or oxen . Standard networks of roads were adopted by Romans , Persians , Aztec , and other early empires , and may be regarded as a feature of empires. Cargo may be transported by trucking companies , while passengers may be transported via mass transit . Commonly defined features of modern roads include defined lanes and signage . Various classes of road exist, from two-lane local roads with at-grade intersections to controlled-access highways with all cross traffic grade-separated.
92-533: Himachal Road Transport Corporation , also referred to as HRTC , is the state-owned road transport corporation of the state of Himachal Pradesh , India. HRTC provides bus services to towns and cities within Himachal Pradesh and the adjoining and nearby states of Uttarakhand , Punjab , Haryana , Delhi , Uttar Pradesh , Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan . HRTC is one of the first RTC's in India to offer
184-605: A free port . To avoid accidents caused by fatigue, truckers have to adhere to strict rules for drive time and required rest periods. In the United States and Canada, these regulations are known as hours of service , and in the European Union as drivers working hours . One such regulation is the Hours of Work and Rest Periods (Road Transport) Convention, 1979 . Tachographs or Electronic on-board recorders record
276-476: A refrigerated van, or "reefer", used for cold goods. A railway car used to carry baggage is also called a "van". A vehicle referred to in the US as a " full-size van " is usually a large, boxy vehicle that has a platform and powertrain similar to their light truck counterparts. These vans may be sold with the space behind the front seats empty for transporting goods (cargo van), furnished for passenger use by either
368-515: A " minivan " in American English is called a "people-carrier", "MPV" or multi-purpose vehicle, and larger passenger vehicles are called " minibuses ". The Telegraph newspaper introduced the idea of the " White Van Man ", a typical working class man or small business owner who would have a white Ford Transit , Mercedes-Benz Sprinter , or similar panel van. Today the phrase "man and van" refers to light removal firms normally operated by
460-501: A cargo box trailer or semi-trailer is used rarely, if ever, in Australia. In India, the van is one of the most common modes of transportation and is often used for taking children to and from schools, usually when parents, especially working parents, are too busy to pick their children up from school or when school buses are full and unable to accommodate other children. Vans are also used for commercial purposes and office cabs. Some of
552-690: A cloverleaf and trumpet interchange when it opened in 1937 and until the Second World War boasted the longest illuminated stretch of roadway built. A decade later, the first section of Highway 401 was opened, based on earlier designs. It has since become North America's busiest highway. The word freeway was first used in February 1930 by Edward M. Bassett . Bassett argued that roads should be classified into three basic types: highways, parkways , and freeways. In Bassett's zoning and property law -based system, abutting property owners have
644-607: A continental-sized network meant to connect every population center of 50,000 people or more. By 1956, most limited access highways in the eastern United States were toll roads. In that year, the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 was passed, funding non-toll roads with 90% federal dollars and 10% state match, giving little incentive for states to expand their turnpike system. Funding rules initially restricted collections of tolls on newly funded roadways, bridges, and tunnels. In some situations, expansion or rebuilding of
736-569: A convoy of multiple wagons. The word van has slightly different, but overlapping, meanings in different forms of English . While the word now applies everywhere to boxy cargo vans, other applications are found to a greater or lesser extent in different English-speaking countries; some examples follow: In Australian English , the term van is commonly used to describe a minivan , a passenger minibus , or an Australian panel van as manufactured by companies such as Holden and Ford at various times. A full-size van used for commercial purposes
828-531: A country, and may include federal standards. The United States uses FMCSA federal standards that include bridge law formulas . Many states, not on the national road system, use their own road and bridge standards. Enforcement scales may include portable scales, scale houses with low speed scales or weigh-in-motion (WIM) scales. The European Union uses the International Recommendation , OIML R 134-2 (2009). The process may involve
920-532: A county. In 18th century West Africa , road transport throughout the Ashanti Empire was maintained via a network of well-kept roads that connected the Ashanti capital with territories within its jurisdiction and influence. After significant road construction undertaken by the kingdom of Dahomey , toll roads were established with the function of collecting yearly taxes based on the goods carried by
1012-705: A facility for online booking of tickets for all types of buses. The corporation was jointly founded by the Government of Punjab , Government of Himachal Pradesh and Railways as Mandi-Kullu Road Transport Corporation in 1958 to operate in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh . The corporation was merged with Himachal Govt. Transport on 2 October 1974 and was renamed as Himachal Road Transport Corporation. HRTC has its corporate office at Shimla and four divisional offices at Shimla , Mandi , Hamirpur and Dharamshala , each having integrated workshop. It has 31 depots each with
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#17327799388271104-999: A few intrastate routes including Manali-Shimla. Besides the 11.4 meter luxury Isuzu buses, this class also includes buses built by JCBL and Amar on 210", 243" and 222" WB chassis by TATA or Ashok Leyland. The buses are provided with 35 comfortable and luxurious passenger seats with pushback. HRTC operates Deluxe buses with 2X2 seating configuration on Delhi-Dehra, Delhi-Shimla, Delhi-Manali, Delhi-Dharamshala, Delhi-Joginder nagar, Delhi-Baijnath, Delhi-Dharampur, Chamba-Shimla, Chamba-Deheradun, Deheradun-Shimla and Manali-Shimla routes. The buses are provided with 31 comfortable and luxurious passenger seats with pushback. Along with LED facility, charging ports are available for each seat. HRTC operates 47 and 37 seater ordinary buses on all routes. The buses come in 2X3 seating configuration and ply on ordinary fare. The buses are manufactured by ACGL and Tata Marcopolo on TATA 1512 (BS3) and 1613 (BS4) chassis. In 2022, 150 New Ashok Leyland build by SMK Prakash added in
1196-790: A fleet of 3302 buses running on around 3700 routes within and outside the state & has categorized its buses into 5 categories as HRTC was the first operator in North India to start Volvo services on Shimla-Delhi and Manali-Delhi routes in 2005 on trial basis. The total Volvo and Scania AB fleet currently stands at 100+ buses with daily buses running from Delhi to Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala, Joginder Nagar, Baijnath, Hamirpur, Nalagarh, Chintpurni, Jawala ji, Pathankot, Chamba, Palampur, Rewalsar, Bir, Rohru, Jispa, and Sarkaghat. Also some new routes are started from Chandigarh Airport to Shimla, Manali, Dharmshala. Also new route started from Mata Vaishno Devi Katra to Shimla. HRTC's 'Himsuta' bus fleet include
1288-867: A full truckload a truck is more appropriate. (Also see Trucking and Hauling below). In some countries cargo is transported by road in horse-drawn carriages, donkey carts or other non-motorized mode. Delivery services are sometimes considered a separate category from cargo transport. In many places, fast food is transported on roads by various types of vehicles . For inner city delivery of small packages and documents bike couriers are quite common. People are transported on roads. Special modes of individual transport by road such as cycle rickshaws may also be locally available. There are also specialist modes of road transport for particular situations, such as ambulances. The first methods of road transport were horses , oxen or even humans carrying goods over dirt tracks that often followed game trail . The Persians later built
1380-433: A given lane and median barriers can prevent left turns and even U-turns. Early toll roads were usually built by private companies under a government franchise. They typically paralleled or replaced routes already with some volume of commerce, hoping the improved road would divert enough traffic to make the enterprise profitable. Plank roads were particularly attractive as they greatly reduced rolling resistance and mitigated
1472-779: A licence, which usually requires them to pass an exam (e.g. in the EU). They have to make sure they affix proper labels for the respective hazard(s) to their vehicle. Liquid goods are transported by road in tank trucks (in American English) or tanker lorries (in British English) (also road-tankers) or special tank containers for intermodal transport . For transportation of live animals special requirements have to be met in many countries to prevent cruelty to animals (see animal rights ). For fresh and frozen goods refrigerator trucks or reefers are used. Some loads are weighed at
1564-427: A margin of side clearance, a refuge for incapacitated vehicles, an emergency lane, and parking space. They also serve a design purpose, and that is to prevent water from percolating into the soil near the main pavement's edge. Shoulder pavement is designed to a lower standard than the pavement in the traveled way and won't hold up as well to traffic, so driving on the shoulder is generally prohibited. Pavement technology
1656-570: A network of Royal Roads across their empire. With the advent of the Roman Empire , there was a need for armies to be able to travel quickly from one region to another, and the roads that existed were often muddy, which greatly delayed the movement of large masses of troops . To resolve this issue, the Romans built solid and lasting roads. The Roman roads used deep roadbeds of crushed stone as an underlying layer to ensure that they kept dry, as
1748-420: A new technology is added like automated doors etc. Made by Ashok Leyland and Body by Prakash. Purchased in may/June 2022. Currently in operation.Some routes are Joginder Nagar-Chandigarh, Mandi-Delhi, Sundernagar-Chamba, Shimla-Delhi, Palampur-Delhi, Joginder Nagar- Ludhiana, Mcleodganj-Delhi, Manali-Jammu, Dharampur-Delhi, Hamirpur-Delhi, Dehradun-chandigarh, Poanta sahib-Delhi, Shimla-Dehradun etc. Seat capacity
1840-501: A particular section of roadway, and tolls were collected from users to finance the enterprise. The enterprise was usually named to indicate the locale of its roadway, often including the name of one of both of the termini. The word turnpike came into common use in the names of these roadways and companies, and is essentially used interchangeably with toll road in current terminology. In the United States , toll roads began with
1932-465: A regional workshop and 11 sub-depots. HRTC also owns 3 bus body building units along with 3 tyre pre-cure re-treading plants at Mandi, Parwanoo and Jassur. HRTC routinely upgrades driving skills of its staff and train new drivers at its Driver Training Institutes located at Jassur, Mandi, Taradevi, Hamirpur, Chamba , Sarkaghat and Kullu . Other than regular services connecting Himachal to Chandigarh, Delhi and Haridwar; HRTC operates buses on some of
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#17327799388272024-461: A rise of three inches from the edges to the center. Cambering and elevation of the road above the water table enabled rainwater to run off into ditches on either side. Size of stones was central to the McAdam's road building theory. The lower 200-millimetre (8 in) road thickness was restricted to stones no larger than 75 millimetres (3.0 in). The upper 50-millimetre (2 in) layer of stones
2116-487: A scale house and low-speed scales or higher-speed WIM road or bridge scales with the goal of public safety, as well as road and bridge safety, according to the Bridges Act . Today, roadways are primarily asphalt or concrete . Both are based on McAdam's concept of stone aggregate in a binder, asphalt cement or Portland cement respectively. Asphalt is known as a flexible pavement , one which slowly will "flow" under
2208-541: A section of the London- Chester road between Foothill and Stony Stafford . The basic principle was that the trustees would manage resources from the several parishes through which the highway passed, augment this with tolls from users from outside the parishes and apply the whole to the maintenance of the main highway. This became the pattern for the turnpiking of a growing number of highways, sought by those who wished to improve flow of commerce through their part of
2300-452: A similar layout and could accommodate a V8 engine . Chevrolet also switched to this layout. The Ford, Dodge, and Corvair vans were also produced as pickup trucks. The standard or full size vans appeared with Ford's innovation of moving the engine forward under a short hood and using pickup truck components. The engine cockpit housing is often called a dog house . Over time, they evolved longer noses and sleeker shapes. The Dodge Sportsman
2392-402: A sole business owner transporting anything from the contents of a whole house to just a few boxes. The word "van" also refers to railway covered goods wagons , called "boxcars" in the United States. In the United States, a van can also refer to a box-shaped trailer or semi-trailer used to carry goods. In this case, there is a differentiation between a "dry van", used to carry most goods, and
2484-645: A toll facility using Interstate Highway Program funding resulted in the removal of existing tolls. This occurred in Virginia on Interstate 64 at the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel when a second parallel roadway to the regional 1958 bridge-tunnel was completed in 1976. Since the completion of the initial portion of the Interstate Highway System, regulations were changed, and portions of toll facilities have been added to
2576-463: A type of vehicle arose as a contraction of the word caravan . The earliest records of a van as a vehicle in English are in the mid-19th century meaning a covered wagon for transporting goods; the earliest reported record of such was in 1829. The words caravan with the same meaning has been used since the 1670s. A caravan, meaning one wagon, had arisen as an extension, or corruption, of a caravan meaning
2668-476: Is 51. Buses are provided with 3×2 passenger seat. Air conditioning above every seat and 2 USB post in every column.2 cctvs, first aids and co2 cylinders. Bus is BS6 type and have 2 entry gates. Made by Goldstone, the buses are capable of running 250 km on a single charge. However, that depends on road conditions and driving style. Apart from the zero emission completely electric, the bus also comes equipped with several advanced technologies. Named as ‘Him Tarang’
2760-521: Is also known as a "van" in Australia; however, a passenger vehicle with more than seven or eight seats is more likely to be called a "minibus". The term van can also sometimes be used interchangeably with what Australians usually call a "caravan", which in the U.S. is referred to as a " travel trailer ". The British term people mover is also used in Australian English to describe a passenger van. The American usage of "van" which describes
2852-474: Is also used to describe full-fledged station wagons (passenger car front sheet metal, flat-folding back seats, windows all around) and even hatchbacks with basic trim packages intended for commercial use. These are referred to as "light vans" ( Japanese : ライトバン ), with "light" referring to the glazing rather than the weight of the vehicle. In British English , the word van refers to vehicles that carry goods only, either on roads or on rails. What would be called
Himachal Road Transport Corporation - Misplaced Pages Continue
2944-560: Is also useful in handling and rollover prevention. A van is taller than a typical passenger car, resulting in a higher center of gravity . The suspension is also higher to accommodate the weight of 15 passengers, who can weigh over one ton alone. In the United States, it is common for only the front seat passengers to use their safety belts . The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has determined that belted passengers are about four times more likely to survive in rollover crashes. Safety can be improved by understanding
3036-535: Is orderly and safe. Two hundred years ago these devices were signs, nearly all informal. In the late 19th century signals began to appear in the biggest cities at a few highly congested intersections. They were manually operated, and consisted of semaphores, flags or paddles , or in some cases colored electric lights, all modeled on railroad signals. In the 20th century signals were automated, at first with electromechanical devices and later with computers. Signals can be quite sophisticated: with vehicle sensors embedded in
3128-680: Is some variation in the scope of the word across the different English-speaking countries. The smallest vans, microvans , are used for transporting either goods or people in tiny quantities. Mini MPVs , compact MPVs , and MPVs are all small vans usually used for transporting people in small quantities. Larger vans with passenger seats are used for institutional purposes, such as transporting students. Larger vans with only front seats are often used for business purposes, to carry goods and equipment. Specially equipped vans are used by television stations as mobile studios. Postal services and courier companies use large step vans to deliver packages. Van meaning
3220-410: Is still evolving, albeit in not easily noticed increments. For instance, chemical additives in the pavement mix make the pavement more weather resistant, grooving and other surface treatments improve resistance to skidding and hydroplaning , and joint seals which were once tar are now made of low maintenance neoprene. Nearly all roadways are built with devices meant to control traffic . Most notable to
3312-476: Is the layer or successive layers of stone, gravel and sand supporting the pavement. It is needed to spread out the slab load bearing on the underlying soil and to conduct away any water getting under the slabs. Water will undermine a pavement over time, so much of pavement and pavement joint design are meant to minimize the amount of water getting and staying under the slabs. Shoulders are also an integral part of highway design. They are multipurpose; they can provide
3404-563: The Bonn-Cologne Autobahn began in 1929 and was opened in 1932 by Konrad Adenauer , then the mayor of Cologne . In Canada, the first precursor with semi-controlled access was The Middle Road between Hamilton and Toronto , which featured a median divider between opposing traffic flow, as well as the nation's first cloverleaf interchange . This highway developed into the Queen Elizabeth Way , which featured
3496-730: The Lancaster Turnpike in the 1790s, within Pennsylvania , connecting Philadelphia and Lancaster . In the state of New York , the Great Western Turnpike was started in Albany in 1799 and eventually extended, by several alternate routes, to near what is now Syracuse, New York . Toll roads peaked in the mid 19th century, and by the turn of the twentieth century most toll roads were taken over by state highway departments. The demise of this early toll road era
3588-594: The Pennsylvania Turnpike , toll roads saw a resurgence, this time to fund limited access highways. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, after World War II interrupted the evolution of the highway, the US resumed building toll roads. They were to still higher standards and one road, the New York State Thruway , had standards that became the prototype for the U.S. Interstate Highway System . Several other major toll-roads which connected with
3680-474: The sedan deliveries of the 1930s to late-1950s. The first generation of American vans were the 1960s compact vans , which were patterned in size after the Volkswagen Bus . The Corvair -based entry even imitated the rear-mounted, air-cooled engine design. The Ford Falcon -based first-generation Econoline had a flat nose, with the engine mounted between and behind the front seats. The Dodge A100 had
3772-541: The 18th century. Starting in the early 18th century, the British Parliament began to pass a series of acts that gave the local justices powers to erect toll-gates on the roads, in exchange for professional upkeep. The toll-gate erected at Wade's Mill became the first effective toll-gate in England. The first scheme that had trustees who were not justices was established through a turnpike act in 1707, for
Himachal Road Transport Corporation - Misplaced Pages Continue
3864-449: The 1920s limited access highways appeared. Their main characteristics were dual roadways with access points limited to (but not always) grade-separated interchanges. Their dual roadways allowed high volumes of traffic , the need for no or few traffic lights along with relatively gentle grades and curves allowed higher speeds. The first limited access highways were Parkways , so called because of their often park-like landscaping and, in
3956-553: The French road engineer Pierre-Marie-Jérôme Trésaguet . The first professional road builder to emerge during the Industrial Revolution was John Metcalf , who constructed about 180 miles (290 km) of turnpike road , mainly in the north of England, from 1765. He believed a good road should have good foundations, be well drained and have a smooth convex surface to allow rainwater to drain quickly into ditches at
4048-491: The HRTC depots Of Himachal Pradesh: Road transport The nature of road transportation of goods depends on, apart from the degree of development of the local infrastructure, the distance the goods are transported by road, the weight and volume of an individual shipment, and the type of goods transported. For short distances and light small shipments, a van or pickup truck may be used. For large shipments even if less than
4140-776: The Pennsylvania Turnpike were established before the creation of the Interstate Highway System. These were the Indiana Toll Road , Ohio Turnpike , and New Jersey Turnpike . In the United States, beginning in 1956, Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly called the Interstate Highway System was built. It uses 12 foot (3.65m) lanes, wide medians , a maximum of 4% grade , and full access control, though many sections don't meet these standards due to older construction or constraints. This system created
4232-448: The US may also refer to a minivan . Minivans are usually distinguished by their smaller size and front wheel drive powertrain, although some are equipped with four-wheel drive . Minivans typically offer seven- or eight-passenger seating capacity , and better fuel economy than full-sized vans, at the expense of power, cargo space, and towing capacity. Minivans are often equipped with sliding doors. The precursor to American vans would be
4324-527: The United States and Australia in the 1820s and in Europe in the 1830s and 1840s. Macadam roads were adequate for use by horses and carriages or coaches, but they were very dusty and subject to erosion with heavy rain. The Good Roads Movement occurred in the United States between the late 1870s and the 1920s. Advocates for improved roads led by bicyclists turned local agitation into a national political movement. Outside cities, roads were dirt or gravel; mud in
4416-1043: The United States, full-size vans have been used as commuter vans since 1971, when Dodge introduced a van that could transport up to 15 passengers. Commuter vans are used as an alternative to carpooling and other ride-sharing arrangements. Many mobile businesses use a van to carry almost their entire business to various places where they work. For example, those who come to homes or places of business to perform various services, installations, or repairs. Vans are also used to shuttle people and their luggage between hotels and airports , to transport commuters between parking lots and their places of work, and along established routes as minibusses. Vans are also used to transport elderly and mobility-impaired worshipers to and from church services or to transport youth groups for outings to amusement parks, picnics, and visiting other churches. Vans are also used by schools to drive sports teams to intramural games. Vans have been used by touring music groups to haul equipment and people to music venues around
4508-554: The Volvo 9400 model made on B7R chassis and Scania AB Metrolink HD 12.0m. These 12 meter buses have ten rows of luxury semi-sleeper seats and charging ports. Additional facilities include free Wifi, entertainment on board and water bottles. The buses are also equipped with CCTV camera's for passenger security. HRTC operates air-conditioned Deluxe buses with 2X2 seating configuration on all important routes including Delhi-Shimla, Delhi-Manali, Delhi-Dharamshala and others. The buses also run on
4600-566: The building of roads by improving the selection of stone based on thickness, taking into account traffic, alignment and slopes. During his later years, Telford was responsible for rebuilding sections of the London to Holyhead road , a task completed by his assistant of ten years, John MacNeill . It was another Scottish engineer, John Loudon McAdam , who designed the first modern roads. He developed an inexpensive paving material of soil and stone aggregate (known as macadam ). His road building method
4692-513: The bus runs between the Manali and Rohtang Pass as part of the state government's initiative to save the environment. It covers this 50 km route regularly which is very popular among the tourists. With the initiative, this electric bus is the first zero emission bus that runs at the highest place anywhere in the world. Also, recently it has been introduced in local routes in Shimla. Following are
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#17327799388274784-603: The client – or through freight carriers or shipping agents. Some big companies (e.g. grocery store chains) operate their own internal trucking operations. The market size for general freight trucking was nearly $ 125 billion in 2010. In the U.S. many truckers own their truck (rig), and are known as owner-operators . Some road transportation is done on regular routes or for only one consignee per run ( full truckload ), while others transport goods from many different loading stations/shippers to various consignees per run ( less-than-truckload ). On some long runs only cargo for one leg of
4876-594: The country. Full-size van is a marketing term used in North America for a van larger than a minivan, that is characterized by a large, boxy appearance, a short hood, and heavy cargo and passenger-hauling capability. The first full-size van was the 1969 Ford Econoline , which used components from the Ford F-Series pickups . General Motors and the Dodge Ram Van followed with designs with
4968-507: The door open. Step vans have more boxy shapes, wider bodies, and higher rooftops than other vans, and are rarely employed for carrying passengers. The Minivan is a van which is smaller in size in length and height than a full-size van. Minivans are often used for personal use, as well as commercial passenger operations such as taxis and shuttles, and cargo operations like delivery of mail and packages. They offer more cargo space than traditional sedans and SUVs . Their lower center of gravity
5060-528: The efforts of individual surveyors such as John Metcalf in Yorkshire in the 1760s. British turnpike builders began to realize the importance of selecting clean stones for surfacing while excluding vegetable material and clay, resulting in more durable roads. By the late 18th and early 19th centuries, new methods of highway construction had been pioneered by the work of three British engineers, John Metcalf , Thomas Telford and John Loudon McAdam , and by
5152-532: The engines placed further forward, and succeeding generations of the Econoline introduced longer hoods. Another type of van specific to North America is the step van , named because of the design to facilitate users to step in and out of the vehicle. Widely used by delivery services, courier companies, and the parcel division of the US Postal Service and Canada Post, they are often seen driven with
5244-460: The federal government's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices ). Modern controlled-access highways originated in the early 1920s in response to the rapidly increasing use of the automobile , the demand for faster movement between cities and as a consequence of improvements in paving processes, techniques and materials. These original high-speed roads were referred to as " dual highways " and have been modernized and are still in use today. Italy
5336-452: The first half of the 20th century. The Long Island Motor Parkway on Long Island , New York , opened in 1908 as a private venture, was the world's first limited-access roadway. It included many modern features, including banked turns , guard rails and reinforced concrete tarmac . Traffic could turn left between the parkway and connectors, crossing oncoming traffic, so it was not a controlled-access highway (or "freeway" as later defined by
5428-448: The fleet with USB charging for every seat in 47 and 37 seat configuration, Moreover In 2023, 150 TATA ACGL buses also introduced by Government in 47 and 28 seat configuration, All are these buses complies BS6 emission norms. The bus are purchased from TATA and Ashok-leyland. The buses are provided with 2X2 passenger seats. The buses are fitted with digital destination boards. The buses are also fitted with air Brakes and power steering. and
5520-663: The front seats, where the rest of the van body is cut off (leading to the terminology "cutaway"). From that point aft, only the chassis frame rails and running gear extend to the rear when the unit is shipped as an "incomplete vehicle". A second-stage manufacturer, commonly known as a bodybuilder, will complete the vehicle for uses such as recreational vehicles , small school buses , minibusses, type III ambulances , and delivery trucks. A large proportion of cutaway van chassis are equipped with dual rear wheels. Second-stage manufacturers sometimes add third weight-bearing single wheel "tag axles" for their larger minibus models. The term van in
5612-406: The highest motorable roads in the world. These routes include Leh-Delhi, Shimla-Kaza, Kullu-Kaza, Manali – Reckongpeo, Shri Chintpurni Ji - Khatu Shyam and others. The Leh-Delhi routes operated by HRTC is 1203 km long and is the longest route by any RTC in India with a travel time of approx. 36 hours. The roads to Keylong & leh are also termed as the world's most treacherous roads. HRTC has
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#17327799388275704-445: The locality. In the United States standardization was first taken at the state level, and late in the century at the federal level. Each country has a Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and there are efforts to blend them into a worldwide standard. Besides signals, signs, and markings, other forms of traffic control are designed and built into the roadway. For instance, curbs and rumble strips can be used to keep traffic in
5796-412: The macadam with a mixture of tar and sand. Tar-grouted macadam was in use well before 1900 and involved scarifying the surface of an existing macadam pavement, spreading tar, and re-compacting. Although the use of tar in road construction was known in the 19th century, it was little used and was not introduced on a large scale until the motorcar arrived on the scene in the early 20th century. Modern tarmac
5888-399: The manufacturer (wagon), or another company for more personal comforts ( conversion van ). Full-size vans often have short hoods, with the engine placed under the passenger cabin. A cutaway van chassis is a variation of the full-size van that was developed for use by second stage manufacturers . Such a unit has a van front end and driver controls in a cab body that extends to a point behind
5980-494: The metropolitan New York City area, they connected the region's system of parks. When the German autobahns built in the 1930s introduced higher design standards and speeds, road planners and road-builders in the United States started developing and building toll roads to similar high standards. The Pennsylvania Turnpike , which largely followed the path of a partially built railroad, was the first, opening in 1940. After 1940 with
6072-428: The motorist are those meant to communicate directly with the driver. Broadly, these fall into three categories: signs, signals or pavement markings. They help the driver navigate; they assign the right-of-way at intersections; they indicate laws such as speed limits and parking regulations; they advise of potential hazards; they indicate passing and no passing zones; and otherwise deliver information and to assure traffic
6164-485: The newly invented bicycles could benefit from good country roads. Later on, they did not hold up to higher-speed motor vehicle use. Methods to stabilise macadam roads with tar date back to at least 1834 when John Henry Cassell, operating from Cassell's Patent Lava Stone Works in Millwall , patented "Pitch Macadam". This method involved spreading tar on the subgrade , placing a typical macadam layer, and finally sealing
6256-426: The pavement, the signal can control and choreograph the turning movements of heavy traffic in the most complex of intersections. In the 1920s traffic engineers learned how to coordinate signals along a thoroughfare to increase its speeds and volumes. In the 1980s, with computers, similar coordination of whole networks became possible. In the 1920s pavement markings were introduced. Initially they were used to indicate
6348-468: The people of Dahomey and their occupation. The Royal Road was built in the late 18th century by King Kpengla which stretched from Abomey through Cana up to Ouidah . The quality of early turnpike roads was varied. Although turnpiking did result in some improvement to each highway, the technologies used to deal with geological features, drainage, and the effects of weather were all in their infancy. Road construction improved slowly, initially through
6440-500: The point of origin and the driver is responsible for ensuring weights conform to maximum allowed standards. This may involve using on-board weight gauges (load pressure gauges), knowing the empty weight of the transport vehicle and the weight of the load, or using a commercial weight scale. In route weigh stations check that gross vehicle weights do not exceed the maximum weight for that particular jurisdiction and will include individual axle weights. This varies by country, states within
6532-758: The popular vans include Maruti Suzuki Omni and the Maruti Suzuki Eeco . Early Japanese vans include the Kurogane Baby , Mazda Bongo , and the Toyota LiteAce . The Japanese also produced many vans based on the American flat nose model, but also minivans which for the American market have generally evolved to the long-wheelbase front-wheel drive form. The Nissan Prairie and Mitsubishi Chariot as well as microvans that fulfill kei car regulations, are popular for small businesses. The term
6624-440: The pounding of traffic. Concrete is a rigid pavement, which can take heavier loads but is more expensive and requires more carefully prepared subbase. So, generally, major roads are concrete and local roads are asphalt. Concrete roads are often covered with a thin layer of asphalt to create a wearing surface. Modern pavements are designed for heavier vehicle loads and faster speeds, requiring thicker slabs and deeper subbase. Subbase
6716-419: The problem of getting mired in mud. Another improvement, better grading to lessen the steepness of the worst stretches, allowed draft animals to haul heavier loads. A toll road in the United States is often called a turnpike . The term turnpike probably originated from the gate, often a simple pike, which blocked passage until the fare was paid at a toll house (or toll booth in current terminology). When
6808-655: The rights of light , air and access to highways but to not parkways and freeways; the latter two are distinguished in that the purpose of a parkway is recreation, while the purpose of a freeway is movement. Thus as originally conceived, a freeway is a strip of public land devoted to movement to which abutting property owners do not have rights of light, air or access. Trucking companies (in American English terminology) or haulage companies / hauliers (in British English) accept cargo for road transport. Truck drivers operate either independently – working directly for
6900-493: The road's centerline. Soon after they were coded with information to aid motorists in passing safely. Later, with multi-lane roads they were used to define lanes . Other uses, such as indicating permitted turning movements and pedestrian crossings soon followed. In the 20th century traffic control devices were standardized. Before then every locality decided on what its devices would look like and where they would be applied. This could be confusing, especially to traffic from outside
6992-439: The route (to) is known when the cargo is loaded. Truckers may have to wait at the destination for a backhaul . A bill of lading issued by the shipper provides the basic document for road freight. On cross- border transportation the trucker will present the cargo and documentation provided by the shipper to customs for inspection (for EC see also Schengen Agreement ). This also applies to shipments that are transported out of
7084-509: The side. He understood the importance of good drainage, knowing it was rain that caused most problems on the roads. Pierre-Marie-Jérôme Trésaguet established the first scientific approach to road building in France at the same time. He wrote a memorandum on his method in 1775, which became general practice in France. It involved a layer of large rocks, covered by a layer of smaller gravel. The lower layer improved on Roman practice in that it
7176-503: The sub-base. The surveyor and engineer Thomas Telford also made substantial advances in the engineering of new roads and the construction of bridges. His method of road building involved the digging of a large trench in which a foundation of heavy rock was set. He also designed his roads so that they sloped downwards from the centre, allowing drainage to take place, a major improvement on the work of Trésaguet. The surface of his roads consisted of broken stone. He also improved on methods for
7268-469: The system. Some states are again looking at toll financing for new roads and maintenance, to supplement limited federal funding. In some areas, new road projects have been completed with public-private partnerships funded by tolls, such as the Pocahontas Parkway (I-895) near Richmond, Virginia . Van A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. There
7360-465: The times the vehicle is in motion and stopped. Some companies use two drivers per truck to ensure uninterrupted transportation; with one driver resting or sleeping in a bunk in the back of the cab while the other is driving. Truck drivers often need special licenses to drive, known in the U.S. as a commercial driver's license . In the U.K. a large goods vehicle licence is required. For transport of hazardous materials (see dangerous goods ) truckers need
7452-473: The toll was paid the pike, which was mounted on a swivel, was turned to allow the vehicle to pass. Tolls were usually based on the type of cargo being transported, not the type of vehicle. The practice of selecting routes so as to avoid tolls is called shunpiking . This may be simply to avoid the expense, as a form of economic protest (or boycott ), or simply to seek a road less traveled as a bucolic interlude. Companies were formed to build, improve, and maintain
7544-472: The unique characteristics of 12- and 15-passenger vans and by following guidelines developed for their drivers, according to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Many commercial vans are fitted with cargo barriers behind the front seats (or rear seats, if fitted) to prevent injuries caused by unsecured cargo in the event of sudden deceleration, collision, or a rollover. Cargo barriers in vans are sometimes fitted with doors permitting
7636-533: The water would flow out from the crushed stone, instead of becoming mud in clay soils. The Islamic Caliphate later built tar-paved roads in Baghdad . As states developed and became richer, especially with the Renaissance , new roads and bridges began to be built, often based on Roman designs. Although there were attempts to rediscover Roman methods, there was little useful innovation in road building before
7728-461: The winter and dust in the summer. Early organizers cited Europe where road construction and maintenance was supported by national and local governments. In its early years, the main goal of the movement was education for road building in rural areas between cities and to help rural populations gain the social and economic benefits enjoyed by cities where citizens benefited from railroads, trolleys and paved streets. Even more than traditional vehicles,
7820-413: Was available with an extension to the rear of its long-wheelbase model to create a 15-passenger van. Vehicles have been sold as both cargo and passenger models, as well as in cutaway van chassis versions for second stage manufacturers to make box vans, ambulances, campers, and other vehicles. Second-stage manufacturers also modify the original manufacturer's body to create custom vans. In urban areas of
7912-413: Was based on the understanding that the purpose of this layer (the sub-base or base course ) is to transfer the weight of the road and its traffic to the ground, while protecting the ground from deformation by spreading the weight evenly. Therefore, the sub-base did not have to be a self-supporting structure. The upper running surface provided a smooth surface for vehicles while protecting the large stones of
8004-446: Was due to the rise of canals and railroads, which were more efficient (and thus cheaper) in moving freight over long distances. Roads wouldn't again be competitive with rails and barges until the first half of the 20th century when the internal combustion engine replaces draft animals as the source of motive power. With the development, mass production, and popular embrace of the automobile, faster and higher capacity roads were needed. In
8096-415: Was limited to 20 millimetres (1 in) size and stones were checked by supervisors who carried scales. A workman could check the stone size himself by seeing if the stone would fit into his mouth. The importance of the 20 mm stone size was that the stones needed to be much smaller than the 100 mm width of the iron carriage tyres that traveled on the road. Macadam roads were being built widely in
8188-502: Was patented by British civil engineer Edgar Purnell Hooley , who noticed that spilled tar on the roadway kept the dust down and created a smooth surface. He took out a patent in 1901 for tarmac. Hooley's 1901 patent involved mechanically mixing tar and aggregate prior to lay-down and then compacting the mixture with a steamroller . The tar was modified by adding small amounts of Portland cement , resin , and pitch . The first version of modern controlled-access highways evolved during
8280-466: Was simpler than Telford's, yet more effective at protecting roadways: he discovered that massive foundations of rock upon rock were unnecessary, and asserted that native soil alone would support the road and traffic upon it, as long as it was covered by a road crust that would protect the soil underneath from water and wear. Also unlike Telford and other road builders, McAdam laid his roads as level as possible. His 30-foot-wide (9 m) road required only
8372-543: Was the first country in the world to build controlled-access highways reserved for fast traffic and for motor vehicles only. The Autostrada dei Laghi ("Lakes Motorway"), the first built in the world, connecting Milan to Lake Como and Lake Maggiore , and now parts of the A8 and A9 motorways, was devised by Piero Puricelli and was inaugurated in 1924. This motorway, called autostrada , contained only one lane in each direction and no interchanges. The Bronx River Parkway
8464-580: Was the first road in North America to utilize a median strip to separate the opposing lanes, to be constructed through a park and where intersecting streets crossed over bridges. The Southern State Parkway opened in 1927, while the Long Island Motor Parkway was closed in 1937 and replaced by the Northern State Parkway (opened 1931) and the contiguous Grand Central Parkway (opened 1936). In Germany, construction of
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