Development of public transport
Look at the pictures below to see how different power sources have been used in the development of public transport vehicles.
Take a look at the vehicles below.
Which of the forms of transport below had or has the most effect on the environment?
| Horse-drawn trams and buses were used in the UK from the mid 19th century until the First World War. |
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Steam engines were invented in the 18th century. This was a steam driven bus called ‘Puffing Billy’ made in the 1920s. Steam buses eventually died out in the 1920s because they were heavier and slower than diesel buses. |
| Towards the end of the 19th century, electricity was successfully used to power buses and trams. Buses used large batteries but these ran out of power quickly so buses connected to overhead electricity cables, known as trolleybuses, became more popular. The trolleybuses in this photograph were in London in the 1950s. |
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Petrol-engined buses became popular in the early 20th century. They could work longer hours, travel at higher speeds and carry more passengers than horse buses. They were not tied to cables and rails like trams and trolleybuses. This is a double-decker bus in London in 1907. |
| Diesel engines were more durable and economical than petrol engines and were better able to power large vehicles. Diesel replaced petrol as a means of powering buses in the 1920s and 1930s and most buses today have diesel engines. This single-decker bus from the 1930s was used in rural areas where passengers were fewer and journeys were longer. |
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Diesel and petrol engines create pollution including carbon dioxide which is associated with global warming. This is a 'hybrid' concept bus which is powered by a gas engine and an electric motor. It releases very little harmful pollution into the environment.
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