It is widely believed that offering free public transport every day and every week is the most effective way for governments to tackle the issue of traffic jam.Although I recognize that free buses and trains offers some benefits, I would argue that the drawbacks are more serious.
On the one hand, there are many reasons why free public transportation is advantageous. Because it is free, people can save their budget so they are likely to use public buses and trains instead of their private vehicles. Consequently, the traffic congestion would not appear during rush-hour, making commuters going to work and backing to home faster. Moreover, when encouraging people using free transport, it can reduce the risk of accidents in roads, drivers feel more comfortable and relieved when travelling. Therefore, streets are less crowded.
On the other hand, I strongly believe that this viewpoint still has some drawbacks. One issue is the badly quality of amenties.If too much commuters use public buses and trains every day, these service may become dirtier and less comfortable. Consequently, passengers might have a negative experience and are inclined to choose back their private vehicles . Another issue is that the frequently overwhelmed of public transit. If the public transport is free, more people opt to use free buses and trains because of its convenient and flexibility, so the infrastructure will not be able to meet their demands, making some people have to wait for a long time. As the result, some individuals might return to using back their own vehicles.
In conclusion, while I acknowledge that offering free public transportation can deal with the challenge of traffic jam, I am more convinced that it will cause long-lasting negative impact on users, making them do not want to use it frequently.