Band 6+: In many cities, the use of public transport is increasing, while the number of private cars is decreasing. Do you think this is a positive or negative development?

Nowadays people tend to use public transportation rather than private cars. I think this is a positive development for several reasons.

One of the reasons is the decreasing numbers of traffic jams. When people use public transportation more, it is less likely there is traffic congestion because there are not many cars. People started using public transportation since they understood that it will save them more time and is more comfortable. For example, in Azerbaijan, there are more bus lanes than before and people started using buses more. As a result, the usage of private cars has reduced and there is not much traffic congestion anymore. There are other reasons for the statement I supported above.

Another reason is that it is environmentally friendly. When using petrol-powered vehicles, harmful gases are leaked to the atmosphere. Overuse of private cars can be really dangerous, since more means of transport means more exhaust fumes. And ride-sharing is a good way to overcome this issue. For instance, in China, The government encourages people to use public transportation by teaching them the danger of a polluted environment. Changes can be seen in the quality of air than before when overuse of private cars was a problem.

In summary, I believe city dwellers’ usage of more public transportation is a positive development because of reduced numbers of traffic jams and the fact that it is environmentally friendly.