In some people’s opinion investing in public transportation is a good idea to prevent traffic congestion and pollution. Others believe that government should invest more in building new roads and highways. In my view, government should increase the number of roads and highways to address these issues.
On the one hand, it is understandable why some people think that more investment should be provided for public transport vehicles. Public transport has more capacity and available seats than individual vehicles such as cars and motorcycles. For instance, 60-80 passengers can travel by a single bus, whereas a car has maximum capacity of five passengers. Public transport is also eco-friendly because most public transport vehicles use compressed natural gas as fuel, which causes less damage to the environment. Some forms of public transportation, such as metros, are way significantly faster than private vehicles and do not even contribute traffic congestion.
On the other hand, I would agree with those who believe that building roads and highways is more essential and efficient solution to tackle traffic problems. Apparently, providing more places for transportation may contribute to solution of traffic congestion. Traffic congestion itself is the biggest reason of carbon dioxide pollution. The longer a car stuck in traffic, the more carbon it emits. However, solving congestion problem will also directly contribute to solve gas pollution.
In conclusion, while there are some reasons to believe that the government should support public transportion financially to solve traffic problems, my opinion is building new roads and highways is the only effective solution.