---
title: "Preference to public transportation"
subject: "Transportation Engineering I"
chapter: 1
key: "semester_6/transportation_engineering_i:public-transport-preference"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_6/transportation_engineering_i/public-transport-preference
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Preference to public transportation

Transportation Engineering I · Chapter 1: Introduction to Transportation Planning and engineering

- Asked in: 2068 Bhadra (old course)
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_6/transportation_engineering_i/public-transport-preference
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_6/transportation_engineering_i/chapter-1

## Question

Why should the development of public transportation be given preference over the development of private transportation?

## Short answer

Public transport carries many people per unit of road space, cutting congestion, cost, pollution, and accidents. It ensures equitable access for non-drivers, supports compact land use, saves foreign exchange, and needs less parking land.

## Answer

Public transport should be given priority over private transport because it serves more people with less cost, space and harm.

1. **Road space efficiency:** one bus carries 40-60 persons on the road space of 2-3 cars. Roads of limited width, as in our cities, move far more people when buses are favoured.
2. **Reduces congestion:** fewer vehicles on the road, so time loss and fuel waste fall.
3. **Lower cost per passenger:** both for the user and the country; the fuel imported per passenger-km is much less.
4. **Equity:** the poor, students, elderly and women who cannot afford a vehicle get mobility.
5. **Less pollution and noise:** lower emission per passenger-km; electric buses and trolleys can reduce it more.
6. **Fewer accidents** per passenger-km.
7. **Less parking land:** cities need less land for parking and more for people and green space.
8. **Saves foreign exchange,** as petrol, diesel and private vehicles are imported.
9. **Supports compact, efficient land use** and economic activity around transit stops.

Hence, planners improve bus service, bus lanes, terminals and fares, and restrict private cars where public transport is available.

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. Why does public transport use road space more efficiently?
   A. One bus carries 40-60 persons on the road space of 2-3 cars
   B. A bus uses ten times the space of a car
   C. Cars carry more persons per space
   D. Buses are lighter
   Answer: A. A bus moves far more people per unit of road space than cars. (Key point: Road space efficiency)

2. Which group benefits through the equity argument for public transport?
   A. Only car owners
   B. The poor, students, elderly and women who cannot afford a vehicle
   C. Only tourists
   D. Only truck drivers
   Answer: B. Public transport gives mobility to those who cannot afford private vehicles. (Key point: Equity)

3. How does public transport save foreign exchange?
   A. It uses more petrol
   B. It requires more imported cars
   C. It uses less imported fuel and fewer imported private vehicles per passenger
   D. It has no effect
   Answer: C. Less petrol, diesel and fewer imported private vehicles are needed per passenger. (Key point: Cost to the country)

4. What do planners do to give priority to public transport?
   A. Improve bus service, bus lanes, terminals and fares, and restrict private cars where service exists
   B. Remove bus lanes
   C. Increase parking supply
   D. Ban buses
   Answer: A. They improve bus services and restrict private cars where public transport is available. (Key point: Policy measure)

## Related in Transportation Engineering I

- [Public versus private transportation](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Ftransportation_engineering_i%3Apublic-private) — Transportation Engineering I, chapter 1, asked 3×

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