Many People Argue That Free Public Transportation Should Be Available In Major Cities | Band 8 IELTS Essay Sample
Many people argue that free public transportation should be available in most major cities. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this idea?
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Band 8 IELTS essay sample
According to some people, the government should offer free public transportation in big cities. In my opinion, this could be advantageous for some sections of the society but it will be a liability for the government.
If public transport is available in cities, few people will want to use their own vehicle. This will definitely reduce the traffic congestion in urban areas. Better still, we may see an increase in air quality because fewer vehicles on the road means less emission. In addition, the free transport option will be a boon for the low and middle class people. Transport options in major cities are pretty expensive right now. If the government makes them available free of cost, the commuters will definitely benefit.
On the other hand, public transport is currently an important source of revenue for the government. If it is made free the government will find it rather difficult to sustain it. This, in turn, will affect the quality and reliability of the service provided. In addition, in order to run a service that does not generate any money, the government will have to secure funds from elsewhere. In most cases, this will be done at the expense of other sectors. In other words, the free public transport services will force the government to spend less on other sectors like healthcare, education or infrastructure. The other option for the government is to increase taxes. In either case, a measure like this will have an adverse effect on the people and the economy in the long run.
To conclude, after analysing the advantages and disadvantages of offering free public transport, it is easy to see that this is not a viable option. Hence, rather than investing in public transport, the government should spend money for improving the existing infrastructure and transport networks. This will solve most of the traffic woes plaguing big cities.
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