Traffic: What can we do?
Nowadays traffic in major cities is worsening. What problems does it create? How can we help solve these problems as individuals?
As more and more people move from the countryside into the world’s cities, traffic is becoming a bigger and bigger problem. Public transport is unable to cope, and people turn to private transport, often making the situation worse. In this essay, I will suggest ways in which individuals can take the lead in improving the flow of traffic in our cities.
It may seem as if there is nothing the individual can do to solve traffic problems. Investing in public transport such as the construction of a metro, railway or tram system, or even introducing a bus network is far too expensive for the ordinary individual. Even calling on local authorities or politicians to begin such projects is usually very unrewarding because of the long timescales involved. Finally, buying your own car or motorbike just adds to the overcrowding and magnifies the traffic problem.
However, there are some steps ordinary individuals can take. First of all, where possible we should opt for public transport, such as buses, trains, or even taxis, rather than using cars. These are a more efficient use of limited urban space than private vehicles. Another option is to pool: to share our cars with other people going to the same work or school. The fewer vehicles on the road, the less congestion. A third approach is to live closer to where we work, so that we can walk or cycle. It is much less stressful to know that you can reach your work within a few minutes by the simplest forms of transport. Finally, we do need to work with local politicians and urban planners to provide transport services. If they are not constantly pressed, they will spend the money elsewhere.
In conclusion, although traffic may seem like an insurmountable problem, it is simply the result of many individual choices. It is pointless waiting for governments to take action – we must take some responsibility ourselves.
how can we recognise between “the” and “a” and when both should be used?
when can we use “-” in the sentences? for example the last statement in the conclusion above “It is pointless waiting for governments to take action – we must take some responsibility” the mark”-” had been used between the words action and we. Can we replace it by full stop marking or comma marking?
Hi Ahmed
I’m not quite sure which part you mean. It’s usually very clear when to use the (if it has been mentioned earlier) or a (if it is the first time something has been mentioned).
Send us an example and we will be happy to help!