In recent years, traffic congestion has been prevalent in metropolitan cities around the world. This essay will discuss practical short-term and long-term solutions that the government can take to help mitigate the problem.
To begin with, I believe that in the short term, governments ought to invest in enhancing public transportation and reducing private-owned vehicles. The first solution the authorities should bring to the table is imposing higher tax rates on vehicles distributed for personal purposes. By making privately owned cars and motorbikes less accessible to the masses, there will be fewer vehicles patrolling the streets, lessening the impact of traffic jams to a certain level. Another feasible solution governments need to take to tackle traffic congestion is improving both the frequency and quality of public transportation modes. As far as I am concerned, most people avoid using public transport modes mainly because of the sub-standard quality and inconveniences of waiting for too long. Therefore, if the government invests seriously in bettering the public transport system, more people will choose public transit over driving their own vehicles.
Apart from short-term tactics, it is to my belief that governments should bring long-term solutions to the table in order to address the issue in a thorough manner. In my opinion, the root of traffic jams in cosmopolitan cities like New York City or Ho Chi Minh City is that people want to travel to said cities to seek better living standards. Hence, governments should consider allocating public money in improving infrastructure and thoroughfare in less-developing regions, especially rural areas. For instance, local authorities can erect more schools, build more decent medical centers and establish new recreational spots in the city outskirts. Additionally, another long-term strategy the government can adopt to eliminate traffic jams in big cities is to give favorable tax policies for organizations that establish their operations in developing regions. When people have more diverse career choices, they will be less likely to move to metropolises, reducing traffic jams in big cities.
In conclusion, so as to tackle the issue of traffic jams in cosmopolitan cities, the government should take both short-term and long-term solutions.