It is believed that the most effective solution to growing traffic and pollution issues is to increase fuel prices. From my perspective, I totally disagree with this point of view for several reasons.
Firstly, some people are of the opinion that increased cost of petroleum will directly lead to the decline in the number of vehicles on the roads,thereby solving traffic and pollution problems. This is predicated on the assumption that people will be discouraged from using private means of transportation. Instead, people will switch to public ones, which will result in the enhancement of those alarming issues. However, this idea is not necessarily true for those who are affluent enough to continue using private vehicles for its significant head starts over public transport. To specify, they are less time-consuming as well as bring about a sense of freedom when traffic participants control their own vehicles, which means they can go wherever they want at their own disposal.
Secondly, there are other approaches that can prove to be more effective than the above-mentioned one. These include running worldwide campaigns to heighten people’s awareness about the environmental problems, or the government joining forces with the vehicle manufacturers to create environmentally friendly models equipped with modern technologies that can possibly be flighted. As people realize the gravity of the problems, they will start making use of these new vehicles and also public transport. As a result, this movement will create a clean atmosphere for the masses, at the same time solve traffic concerns like traffic jams or accidents since drivers have more routes to travel. In comparison with raising the cost of fossil fuels, these methods can also cushion the burden for those struggling financially, since they do not have to pay more for daily commuting in the long run.
To conclude, considering all the long-term benefits of the aforementioned alternatives, it goes without saying that increasing fossil fuels’ price is by no means the best solution to the existing traffic and pollution issues.