Types of public transport

Trains, trams and buses can relieve traffic congestion and reduce air pollution from road transport. Let's look at these more closely.

Trains

• Cars can only hold a few passengers, but trains can hold hundreds of passengers who may otherwise have travelled to work by car. This helps reduce congestion although some congestion around railway stations can occur as people travel to catch trains. Railways use existing tracks and take up less land than roads, the building of which can disrupt the homes of our wildlife.
  
  However, although trains can reduce road congestion, it is important to remember that they can still emit harmful greenhouse gases. Electric trains do not release greenhouse gases directly but the electricity they use is produced by power stations whose emissions contribute to climate change if they use fossil fuels like coal and gas.

Buses

• Buses can carry many passengers and use less fuel and road space than would be used if all the passengers travelled by car instead. Because they do not travel on rails buses are free to go where they like, making them very accessible. Buses in the UK are mainly powered by diesel engines, with a handful of alternative fuels under trial. Improvements in the emission performance of buses are likely to be needed in the future because buses still produce harmful emissions.

Trams

• There has been an increase in the use of transport such as trams and light railway, which have a lower environmental impact than buses. Trams use smaller vehicles and narrower rail tracks than conventional trains, which enables them to be constructed within existing built-up areas. They also run at a lower cost than trains, and they can easily be expanded to accommodate increases in passengers. The initial cost of building a tram system can be very high however.
  
  Edinburgh City Council is thinking about tackling Edinburgh's congestion problem by introducing trams. It is hoped that two new tram lines may be introduced within the decade.

Light Railway

• An example of a recent successful light rail transport scheme is the Metrolink, developed in Manchester in 1991. Sections of the Metrolink run parallel to other vehicles in the existing road network. Following its success, additional extensions have been developed or planned to surrounding suburbs.

Why don't you:
Find out how everyone in your class travels to school? How many people walk, cycle, use public transport or use cars? You could display this information on a bar or pie chart.