Transportation Act - Definition and Overview

The Transportation Act of 1718 was an act of the British Parliament that established a seven-year banishment to North America as a possible punishment for those convicted of lesser felonies, or as possible sentence that capital punishment might be commuted to by royal action. Transportation of criminals to North America continued from 1718-1776. When the American revolution made it unfeasible to carry out transportation, those sentenced to it were punished with incarceration or hard labor instead. From 1787-1868, criminals were transported to the British colonies in Australia.

The Transportation Act of 1958 (PL 85-625) attempted to reinvigorate the commercial railroads of the United States by granting the Interstate Commerce Commission money to loan to railroads and power to fix prices. Despite this, railroads were still having a difficult time remaining profitable, and asked to shed services, particularly passenger rail services.

See: Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970

Example Usage of Transportation