kids encyclopedia robot

Transport facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Larousse universel en 2 volumes; nouveau dictionnaire encyclopédique publié sous la direction de Claude Augé (1922) (14596082918)
Many different types of vehicles including carriages, trams, trains, cars, bicycles, balloons, planes, ships, airships and yachts.

Transport is all about moving people or things from one place to another. Think of it as how we get around or send stuff. Transport has three main parts: the infrastructure (the paths we use), the vehicles (what we travel in), and operations (how everything is managed).

Infrastructure means all the paths and places vehicles use. This includes roads, railway tracks, airports, canals, and pipelines. It's like the big network that helps things move. Infrastructure also includes places where journeys start or end, such as airports, train stations, bus stations, and seaports (docks).

Most infrastructure is built by governments. They usually pay for it using taxes collected from people. Experts like civil engineers and urban planners design roads and railways.

Vehicles are the machines that travel on the infrastructure. These include cars, trucks, trains, and airplanes. Engineers who specialize in machines, called mechanical engineers, usually design these vehicles. For water transport, we use vessels like boats, ferries, and barges. These travel on canals and use docks or seaports. Just like trains use train stations, airplanes use airports. And just as trains follow railway lines, airplanes follow special flight paths in the sky.

Operations are the rules and systems that control how transport works. This includes things like traffic signals, railway signals, and air traffic control. Operations also involve government policies (plans for guiding decisions) and regulations (rules or laws). These help manage the system. Examples are tolls (fees to use certain roads), fuel taxes, and traffic laws.

How Transport Connects with Communication

Transport and communication are closely linked. Sometimes, you can choose one instead of the other. For example, you might telephone a friend instead of visiting them in person. But transport also needs good communication to work well. For instance, air traffic control uses communication to help many airplanes fly safely. So, when transport increases, communication often increases too, and vice versa.

Transport, Energy, and the Environment

Transport uses a lot of energy. Most vehicles run on hydrocarbons, like oil and gas. Burning these fuels can create pollution, which is bad for the environment. To help reduce pollution, there are environmental regulations (laws) and low-pollution fuels. For example, liquified natural gas pollutes less.

Even with cleaner fuels, as more vehicles are used, more pollution is created overall. Fuels like ethanol and biodiesel are also options that pollute less than regular petroleum.

Different Ways to Travel

Transport can happen in three main ways: by land, by water, or by air.

Land Transport

Land transport includes walking, using roads, and traveling on railway tracks. People use bicycles, cars, buses, and vehicles like trains to move across land.

Water Transport

Water transport uses ships and barges. These vessels travel in canals, rivers, and across seas.

Air Transport

Air transportation involves using airplanes and helicopters. These vehicles fly in the sky and use airports for taking off and landing.


Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Transporte para niños

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Transport Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.