In the past thirty years, the number of people owning cars has grown rapidly and this has resulted in traffic jams in most cities. I believe this statement is firmly true because the increase in the number of private vehicles has apparently put pressure on urban roads. This problem can be addressed by the governments through introducing practical measures which would discourage unnecessary car ownership.
Generally speaking, this statement is true since increased car ownership has brought about constantly congested traffic. People’s income has improved and owning a car has become affordable and convenient, so more and more families own more than one car. This leads to overcrowded roads, especially during rush hours when most people go to work or school by car. Cities such as Istanbul and Baku are suffering from long daily queues because the number of cars increases much faster than the road capacity. Therefore, higher car ownership can reasonably be regarded as a significant cause of traffic problems.
There are several ways in which governments can take measures that reduce the number of people reliant on private cars. One effect is that of investing in better public transportation so that buses and trains travel faster and more comfortably than the private cars. The second measure is introducing congestion charges or higher parking fees in city centres, making driving unappealing. For example, since London introduced the congestion charge, many residents changed to using public transport, and traffic levels noticeably fell.
In conclusion, it is certainly true that the rise in car ownership has caused continuous traffic jams in many cities. However, by improving public transport and introducing charges for car use, governments can successfully encourage people to reduce their dependence on private vehicles.