▶ Your Answer :
Thanks to the
remarkable development of transportation technologies, people in modern society
have enjoyed high standards of living. Compared to the past, moreover, affordable
prices of vehicles enabled people from all different classes to own private
cars. Although the quality of driveways and roads has been also developed
significantly, dramatic increase of the number of vehicles triggered severe
traffic gems. Regarding this phenomenon, more and more people are asserting
that it is time for not only individuals but also government to take practical
measure to cope with road congestion.
Road traffic problems can be mitigated if
people take public transportation. People tend to prefer taking their private
vehicles due to its convenience. Unfortunately, however, due to this
individualistic viewpoint, people experience heavy traffic especially during
the rush-hour. Rather than driving their own cars, taking public transportation
can benefit people in many ways. The punctuality of buses and trains can
relieve people from stresses coming from congestion and reduced emissions from
private vehicles can also contribute to environment conservation. According to
the article that describes the efficiency of public transportation, taking
trains or bus every day equals to planting a few tress annually. Moreover,
almost 100% of punctuality that public transportation guarantees, can not only
solve the traffic gem but also encourage more people to take advantage of it. Also,
having a habit to take bicycles or walk when t travelling near distance can
play an important role in solving road congestion.
At the same time with individual’s efforts,
governmental regulation and supports can maximize the efficiency of people’s
efforts. Since is it individual’s freedom to use private vehicles, however,
taking coercive measures cannot be carried out all the time. Therefore, by
providing tax cuts for public transportation users or carrying out public
campaigns that illustrates the benefits of public transportation, government should
motivate people to take trains or buses voluntarily. More importantly,
educating young people to obtain awareness that public transportation can
benefit the whole community can also relieve the traffic gem in the future. In case
when the coercive measures are needed, restricting the usage of a car once in a
week can directly solve the heavy traffics. Korean government that implemented
this policy during the Olympics or international sports events is one of the
good manifestations. To prevent the traffic gems during the festival the
government regulated the vehicles once a week based on the numbers on the car
plate. By doing so, the traffic congestion can be prevented as well as people
could realize the efficiency of using public transportation.
To sum up, as today’s road traffic is an
inevitable phenomenon due to dramatic increase of the number of cars, efforts
from not only individuals but also government need to be performed. However, rather
than restricting people’s rights or freedom by law, it is better to encourage
people to take trains or buses by carrying out public campaigns or policies
that increase the awareness of people.
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