The problem of traffic congestion in metropolitan areas has led to a debate about whether the most efficient solution is to encourage citizens to use public transport free of charge. From my perspective, although some potential benefits could be foreseen to diminish the congestion, I agree that free public transportation contains several threats, and governments should combine it with reasonable regulations to effectively improve city traffic quality.
On the one hand, offering free public transport can obtain many positive aspects beyond solving traffic congestions. To be more specific, since people are encouraged to utilize public transport services, their travel behaviors might shift away from private car use , leading to uncrowded roads and lessening the CO2 emissions. For example, in Japan, governments invest a huge amount of finance in constructing high-quality metros, which not only just resolve traffic jams by encouraging civilians to travel by transportation systems, but also alter gas-using transports to be environmentally-friendly. Moreover, it is observed that when traffic issues are eliminated, the rate of car accidents may be reduced. Thus, this measure can foster a safer and more convenient transport system for commuters.
Despite the beneficial merits gained from this resolution, this can lead to more serious consequences. Firstly, operating free public transportation around-the-clock requires massive funds to create qualified facilities, labour’s salaries and maintenance. Consequently, this solution may not construct long-term advantages for cities unless financial issues are solved. Apart from operating costs, it may contain obstacles in terms of users’ experiences. In other words, most transportation systems work on a consistent line, this may be inconvenient for certain people in low-hours. Therefore, services will receive less users and be less productive, which becomes a financial burden while there are other essential sectors that also need to be invested, such as education or health.
With those concerns, law enforcement should be established reasonably to improve the issues given. For example, administrators can lessen fares during peak hours, or limit accessibility of specific vehicles during rush hours to diminish the rate of traffic congestion in high-end cities.
To conclude, it is undeniable that providing free transportation systems helps cities solve multiple congestion and environmental problems. Nevertheless, this resolution contains potential concerns which impact public services financially and socially. Personally, I propose that governments should enforce regulations on tackling traffic congestion to enhance the traffic in metropolitan areas.