State any three merits of roadways.
The three merits of roadways are:
First, the construction cost of roads is much lower than that of railway lines, making them easier and more affordable to build.
Second, roads can traverse comparatively more dissected and undulating topography and negotiate higher gradients of slopes, enabling them to traverse mountains such as the Himalayas.
Third, road transport provides door-to-door service, which significantly reduces the cost of loading and unloading. Additionally, road transport is economical for transporting few persons and relatively smaller amounts of goods over short distances, and it serves as a feeder to other modes of transport by linking railway stations, air and sea ports.
Explanation
The textbook context explicitly lists several merits of roadways in comparison to rail transport. Students can choose any three from: (a) lower construction cost, (b) ability to traverse dissected and undulating topography, (c) ability to negotiate higher gradients/slopes, (d) economical for short distances with smaller loads, (e) door-to-door service with lower loading/unloading costs, and (f) serves as a feeder to other transport modes. The answer should be concise and directly state three distinct merits.