The question of whether the governmen should allocate funds to roads or motorways, rather than improving public transportation systems, including trams and railways has generated considerable debate. Despite a seemingly well-founded argument of the former viewpoint, I strongly believe that the governmental investment should be devoted to foster the public transport systems.
Critics often highlight that the investment in roads and motorways, which are not wide enough, can mitigate traffic jams in bustling cities. They argue that these can exert consequent effect on the environment. They assume that long traffic jams, caused by the narrow roads, can give rise to certain environmental problems, primarily air pollution. Since, they argue, the increasing number of cars are in traffic, exhaust fumes can be generated at an astounding rate, triggering air pollution in cities suffering from congestions. Thus, critics believe that widening roads and highways can help to reduce the traffic jams, thereby addressing the urgent issue of air pollution.
Despite this favorable argument, in my opinion, the latter viewpoint has more merits. There is one solid reason why the government has to invest in public transportation – the efficiency. It is true that if the roads are wide enough, traffic jams would be resolved, ultimately solving the pressing issue of air pollution. Nevertheless, the widespread use of public transportation can reduce the traffic, as many people use them to commute to their work or school, for example. Instead of using cars, people can be encouraged to use trams and railways, which can contain approximately 200 commuters. In this case, the best way to mitigate air pollution can lie in improved public transport systems. Admittedly, even though such vehicles exhaust chemicals or fumes, instead of using several cars to get to workplaces or schools, citizens can use one public transport, reducing air pollution.
In conclusion, although wider roads and highways can mitigate air pollution to certain extents, the best way to address this matter is to enhance public transport systems such as trams and railways.