What is transportation?
Transportation refers to an act of conducting mobility using various means. The process of movement of people and goods from one place to another with the use of various means of shifting is known as transportation. There are various means such as air modes, water modes, and land modes. Air modes refer to the transport through means that uses the area of the atmosphere such as aeroplanes, jet planes, helicopters and so on. Water transport refers to modes such as ships, cruise, boats and so on which uses waterways for their movement.
For example, a ship cannot function inland but waterways are what it requires to load and unload goods that are being carried on. The most common form of transport on land which denotes sue of the vehicle (heavy or light) such as bus, motorbikes, trucks and so on. The railways used in various nations also get included inland transport as the path gets directed and fixed with no interruptions. Railways are regarded as the safest land transport as it has its lane to follow where the rail only gets operated.
Transport used in Australia
Australia being one of the developed countries uses land transport at the most. With 874500 km of road, seventeen percent of roads are urban whereas the remaining is non-urban in Australia. The basic public transport in Australia is composed of trains, buses, trams, and ferries whereas the private owners own a car. You can also find a taxi service in major cities and areas.
According to the report presented by Bitre; a yearbook in 2015, 79% of the total population use road transport whereas 17% and 4% is used by air and rail respectively. The two major intercity coach companies are Greyhound and Murray that has been providing the cheapest transportation service linking the major cities of Australia. Coach and buses are very time consuming as they are bound to stand within the station as per the time allocations made but is an economical one.
The fragile goods are transported on an international level through airways as well as domestic flights whereas the heavier goods are transported using water transportation. There are a few navigation canals in Australia.
Public Transportation
If you are using public transport, there are the availability of trains, buses, trams, and ferries. You can also go to a taxi service if you are in major cities. Here is a list of websites you can enter to know the availability of public transport in your states:
Australian Capital Territory: ACTION http://www.action.act.gov.au/
New South Wales: SW Transport Info (http://www.131500.com.au/)
Northern Territory: Northern Territory Department of Transport (http://www.transport.nt.gov.au/)
Queensland: TRANSLink (http://www.translink.com.au/)
South Australia: Adelaide Metro (http://www.adelaidemetro.com.au/)
Tasmania: Metro Tasmania (http://www.metrotas.com.au/)
Victoria: Public Transport Victoria (http://ptv.vic.gov.au/)
Western Australia: Transperth (http://www.transperth.wa.gov.au)/
Besides, you can go for Jetstar, Qantas, Virgin Australia and Tigerair which are the four major domestic airlines with the availability of trains and buses if you are travelling on a longer distance.
Significance of public transportation
- Convenient
- Less stress compared to private vehicle
- Reduced travel time
- Easy availability
- Economical
Fares on public transport
The fares are determined by the zones you are traveling through, your ticket type ( hour based or daily one), concession or the appearance of discount.
Myway ticketing system is used in case of travelog through Canberra’s bus network whereas tertiary transportation concession card is given for students in case of Queensland. To know the privilege given to students) national or international) regional websites needs to be concerned which gives details for daily ticket price as well as a weekly one.
There is the use of electric opal card in some of the cities like New South Wales, Sydney and so on if you are traveling through buses, ferry, train, and light rail. Opal cards are the smart card tickets that you can top up, keep and reuse to pay for travel on public transport.
Private transport
You can also own a vehicle in spite of being a student or migrants. There must be a valid overseas driver license if you are driving as an international student in Australia. In absence of a driving license printed in English, International Driving Permit (IDP) or an English translation must be carried by won to drive in Australian ways. The drivers usually drive on the left-hand side of the road but you have to be familiar with the regulations of the specific state or territory to familiarise with the road rules.
Before buying a car, you must know about the regulation of insurance and payment policies. The fees, rego, and insurance vary from state to the other for which the respective government site needs to be checked. The following information helps you to research before buying a car to check for the rules and requirements in the state you are living:
New South Wales: Roads and Maritime Services (RTA)
Victoria: VicRoads
Queensland: Department of Transport and Main Roads
Northern Territory: Motor Vehicle Registry
Western Australia: Driver and Vehicle Services
South Australia: Transport Vehicle Registration
Australian Capital Territory: Rego.act
Tasmania: Transport Tasmania
You can also buy road assistance with yearly membership fee which might cost you an additional fee if you are living in a comparatively remote area. The road assistance can be bought and used in any states within Australia. The road assistance motor clubs are mentioned below which can be checked to buy one for yourself:
New South Wales and Act: National Roads and Motorists Association (NRMA)
Link: ( https://www.mynrma.com.au/)
Victoria: Royal Automotive Club of Victoria (RACV)
Link: ( https://www.racv.com.au/)
Queensland: Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ)
Northern Territory: Automobile Association of the Northern Territory (AANT)
Western Australia: Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia (RAC)
Link: https://rac.com.au/
South Australia: Royal Automobile Association of South Australia (RAA)
Link: https://www.raa.com.au/
Tasmania: Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania (RACT)
There are various car backpackers dealers like Travellers Autobarn, Travel Wheelers, Cars 4 Backpackers and Backpackers Auto Sales.
Significance of private vehicle
- Convenience to move if your state doesn’t have adequate public transport
- Freedom to travel wherever you want to
- Handy while finding a job
- Less competition from other backpackers
- Monthly allocation but eliminated daily expense
Driving in Australia
You can get an Australian driver’s license without sitting any other tests if you are from countries like the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, and New Zealand but you have to fill a form and pay the allocated fee. A long drive deserves a good rest to avoid driver fatigue. You must be cautious while driving during the dawn and dusk or around the countryside where kangaroos get active and can interrupt your ride. You can also buy ”roo bars” for your car if you drive in the outback most often. The roads are closed during the wet season when you have to manage for the alternative. As the distance is measured in kilometres rather than miles, get prepared beforehand with cautions as well as first aid to avoid killing in the roads as this will cost you very high and can ruin your driving whims in Australia.
As a whole, transportation is essential to survive and move towards your destinations in Australia. Cycling in a long distance is not possible whereas you can walk everywhere for which the selection needs to be and for the best transport concerning your daily schedule. The airlines also offer low-cost flights for domestic routes and highways connects most of the country which facilities for your survival in Australia.