A transporting device for articles to be transported and a sorter with the same. The transporting device includes transporting rollers arranged in a transportation passage so as to contact the articles to be transported for transportation in a forward direction. The transporting rollers are supported for rotation about an axis which is swingable in a substantially horizontal plane. The axis of each transporting roller is selectively changed by a direction changing mechanism between one direction to transport the articles to be transported in the forward direction and another direction to obliquely transport the articles to be transported toward a side wall. The side wall is provided along the forward direction at an article reception position in the transportation passage.