Bùi Thanh Ngọc Bích – Sư phạm Anh K42A

Some people believe the government should spend money building train and
subway lines to reduce traffic congestion. Others, however, think that building
more and wider roads is a better way to reduce traffic congestion. Discuss
both views and give your opinion.
ANSWER
There has been an ongoing debate about how to tackle traffic congestion. There
are valid arguments on both views, which will be discussed below.

On the one hand, there are several reasons why building more rail and subway
lines will help to ameliorate traffic congestion. First, this modern means of
transportation would alleviate the existing travel overload. During rush hours,
trains and subways have large capacities and therefore they can help reduce traffic
congestion when passengers start using them instead of private vehicles for daily
travel. Second, underground stations are established separately from other systems
or outside crowded city areas. As a result, subways travel faster, which lead to
shorter travel times and hence reducing traffic accidents.

On the other hand, those who believe that the investment in railroads or subway
lines is only temporary and less effective than increasing the size of roads and
streets. One of these problems is the traffic jam is attributable to the density of
vehicles that exceeds the capacity of the current system. Increasing the size of
roads would allow a higher volume of traffic and enable more vehicles, such as
private cars or buses, to circulate smoothly. Furthermore, although costly and time-
consuming, road expansion is thought to be a long-term solution to traffic
congestion. Private car owners are increasing in numbers owing to the
enhancement of living standards and travelling by private vehicles is much more
comfortable and time-saving than travelling by subways and trains.

In conclusion, although some provisional change brought by railroads or subway

lines would alleviate the problem of traffic congestion, I hold a strong belief that
the increase in the number of road systems is a durable solution for solving that
problem.