▁to ▁improve ▁roads . ▁This ▁program ▁promoted ▁a ▁rise ▁in ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁whe e led ▁vehicles ▁with ▁a ▁less ening ▁of ▁the ▁demand ▁for ▁" s la ves " ▁to ▁manually ▁carry ▁goods ▁and ▁pal an qu ins . ▁It ▁also ▁promoted ▁economic ▁development . ▁ ▁Dar ling ▁had ▁instructions ▁to ▁assign ▁all ▁conv ict s ▁capable ▁of ▁reform ▁to ▁sett lers ▁and ▁to ▁send ▁the ▁remaining ▁conv ict s ▁to ▁the ▁pen al ▁settlement s . ▁The ▁latter ▁proved ▁impossible . ▁Instead ▁he ▁increased ▁the ▁sever ity ▁of ▁the ▁conditions ▁in ▁the ▁pen al ▁settlement ▁and ▁employed ▁hundreds ▁of ▁conv ict s ▁in ▁chain ▁gang s ▁on ▁road ▁works ▁and ▁other ▁public ▁works . ▁These ▁acts ▁reflected ▁the ▁Big ge ▁Re ports ▁of ▁ 1 8 2 2 ▁and ▁ 1 8 2 3 ▁which ▁recommended ▁a ▁great ▁emphas is ▁on ▁pun ishment ▁in ▁the ▁col ony . ▁ ▁The ▁road ▁gang s ▁soon ▁became ▁viewed ▁as ▁the ▁place ▁for ▁those ▁conv ict s ▁who ▁were ▁least ▁capable ▁of ▁reform ▁or ▁improvement . ▁They ▁were ▁usually ▁formed ▁by ▁ 3 0 ▁to ▁ 6 0 ▁men ▁with ▁two ▁conv ict ▁over se ers . ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁gang s ▁worked ▁in ▁ir ons . ▁Rem oval ▁from ▁ir ons ▁was ▁a ▁reward ▁for ▁good ▁behaviour . ▁ ▁Dar ling ' s ▁roads ▁were ▁designed ▁to ▁form ▁a ▁network ▁radi ating ▁from ▁Sydney ▁and ▁were ▁model led ▁on ▁the ▁great ▁roads ▁of ▁England ▁which ▁radi ated ▁from ▁London . ▁The ▁Great ▁South