In recent years, the problem of traffic congestion is becoming increasingly serious and noticeable. Many individuals believe that growing fuel costs to limit people’s use of personal vehicles and providing more public transportation are good ways to solve this problem. Although I agree that these solutions are effective, I am more convinced that there are some more feasible approaches to improve this situation.
On the one hand, there are some reasons why I accept the idea that growing fuel costs and providing more public transportation can solve the adverse impacts of traffic congestion. The first one is that increasing the cost of petro can decline possibilities for people to buy fuel needed to run their vehicles because they are aware that they need to pay more to fill the tank. Therefore, this not only helps reduce traffic congestion but also contributes to eliminating emissions into the environment. Another reason is that authorities should prioritize their budget on promoting the use of public transportation such as bus, train or subway as the capacity of those vehicles is larger. This can help reduce the number of vehicles traveling on the road as well as minimize risky incidents due to traffic jams. For example, in Korea and Taiwan, thanks to the investment in modern and advanced public transportation systems, the streets are quite airy and there are almost no traffic jams.
Despite aforementioned arguments, I strongly support the view that there are some more feasible approaches to improve this phenomenon. One of the most popular methods to resolve traffic congestion in large centers is to build bypass routes to divert traffic. In fact, planners in the mid-20th century saw additional road construction across the globe, in the form of new or improved highways, as an acceptable solution to congestion in towns and big cities. Moreover, the government can encourage people to use bicycles or walk since the benefits of cycling have long been recognized. Bicycles are cheap and a benign form of transportation, noiseless, non-polluting, energy and space efficient and less likely to cause serious accidents. Furthermore, cyclists can also improve their health.
To conclude, the idea of growing fuel costs to limit people’s use of personal vehicles and providing more public transportation are good ways to solve the detrimental impacts of traffic jams. Nevertheless, it is my firm conviction that there are some more effective approaches to improve this situation.