TASK 1: ESSAY OUTLINE

Introduction

- The current situation with traffic congestion.

- *The idea of encouraging people to move from the city center to the suburbs or
countryside is not a good idea.

Body

I. Mass change of lifestyle if people moving from city to suburbs or countryside.

A. It is not that simple to change lifestyle.

i. Living in city is giving many options for leisure time such as shopping mall, theme park and
etc.

II. Encouraging people to carpool

A. Too many cars will lead to traffic congestion and pollution.

i. Carpool is most likely solving the traffic congestion and pollution issues.

III. Promote Cycling to the society

A. Reduce traffic congestion and save environment, healthy lifestyle.

Conclusion

- Moving from where we live for almost half of our life is not an easy decision and
require lot of cost. Thus, there are several suggestions to reduce traffic congestion and
pollution.

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ESSAY | Task 2

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The area with the most traffic congestion is the metropolis, which has grown to be a serious
issue. Because of urbanisation and the heavy traffic on the roads, the problem of traffic
congestion is getting worse every day. Several private businesses contribute significantly to the
congestion in major cities because of their practical two- and four-wheeler services. Urban and
rural traffic congestion reduces productivity, loses time and energy, boosts stress levels and
pollution levels, adds expenses to society and the country as a whole. Traffic congestion is a
problem that metropolitan areas, medium-sized cities, and small cities all encounter.

Traffic congestion poses a serious danger to a nation's ability to develop. There is severe traffic
congestion on the roads as a result of population increase and motorised vehicle use. The main
causes of traffic jams include an increase in people and automobiles, as well as the migration of
rural residents to urban areas in search of better prospects. There are two categories of traffic
congestion: recurring (caused mostly by capacity and behavioural concerns) and non-recurring
(caused primarily by accidents, construction, or emergencies). Both recurring and non-recurring
congestion share the same effects despite having different causes. Traffic congestion intensifies
existing obstacles, making travel unpredictable, raising passenger stress, and creating hazardous
transportation conditions.

Accessibility and mobility are also influenced by traffic congestion. Traffic congestion lengthens
travel times and raises fuel prices, which has a negative impact on businesses and the workers
who distribute goods and services. When the demand for transportation exceeds the capacity of
the roads, there is traffic congestion. One of the most widely used congestion indicators is traffic
density, or the number of vehicles along a given stretch of road. To determine the parameters of
traffic congestion, it is also possible to take into consideration the travel time reliability metrics
such as level of service, roadway congestion index, and lane-mile duration index. The speed
performance index is one of the measures used to assess traffic congestion on urban roads.

In many places throughout the world, traffic congestion has gotten out of hand and is now a
major issue that is difficult to handle. More than half a century ago Reynolds stated that

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"congestion has become an almost universal phenomena in the cities of the advanced world ...
few cities have escaped the problem and even fewer, if any, have as yet solved it".

There are many solutions to the problem of traffic congestion. Encouragement to relocate from
the city to the suburbs or the country is one of them. Yet, from an individual and financial
standpoint, this is a poor choice. Other than relocating to the suburbs or the countryside, there are
several alternatives that we can consider. This will be covered throughout the assignment.

2.0 DISCUSSION

2.1 Relocating to the country or suburbs is not recommended.

One of the main issues in the majority of large cities is traffic congestion. Many people contend
that encouraging residents to move to the suburbs is the solution to this problem. I categorically
disagree with the assertion made since moving to the country won't be a workable solution;
rather, enhancing city transit options and enticing residents to use them will help to some extent.

First off, people tend to move to urban areas, where there is a higher population density due to
the industrial advancements and opportunities present. Cities saw more traffic congestion as a
result. Advising people to move to the outside of the town won't help to fix the problem; instead,
it will make their commutes longer and the issue will still exist. For instance, many people prefer
to reside in the outskirts of Kota Kinabalu city, where Kinarut and Penampang are located.
Nevertheless, getting to work from these areas takes around an hour and a half longer than it
does from the city centre. Thus, this approach won't help with the traffic and transit problems.

Aside from that, leaving the place where we used to dwell is not a straightforward and easy
process. It necessitates a lot of effort, money, and other resources. For families with children in
school, for instance, moving can be a challenging and drawn-out process. Due of the parents'
time constraints, it becomes challenging. Lifestyles will also change as well. This is due to the
distinct differences between urban and rural lifestyles. For instance, if you previously lived in a
city, having a lot of recreational activities is available to you, but not if you now reside in a
hamlet.

As a result, there are other solutions to the problems of traffic congestion and pollution than
pushing people out of the city and into the suburbs or the countryside.

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2.2 Carpooling

Humans now require more mobility as a result of the quick development taking place in places
like Kuala Lumpur. Commuters who primarily use public transit, such as buses and trains, are
frequently confronted with problems with ride quality, comfort, and safety. As a result, people
have been making everyday travels in private vehicles. The usage of private vehicles results in
increased levels of air pollution in urban areas, as well as parking issues, noise pollution, traffic
jams, and low transfer velocity (and, thus, inefficient use of public resources) (Calvo et. 37 al,
2006). Due to traffic congestion during peak hours, a significant quantity of gasoline is wasted
(Seyedabrishami et. al, 2012). Several nations have implemented carpooling as a solution to
these problems.

Carpooling allows passengers to ride together to a shared location. Carpooling can take many
different forms, such as casual carpooling, on-demand carpooling, and van pooling (Shaheen et.
al, 2018). Carpooling is a simple and popular form of ride sharing when two or more people
share one vehicle. For instance, in order to pool their vehicles, A and B must both be automobile
owners and drivers. Then they will decide among themselves who will drive on what day and the
route to take, among other things. A and B should ideally switch off driving on a daily, weekly,
or any other schedule they want. There won't be any costs or fees associated (Dewan et. al,
2007).

Carpooling aims to make commuting to work more affordable for users, saving them money on
out-of-pocket expenses while also reducing the consumption of the most valuable non-renewable
resource we have, such as fuel, which is depleting quickly. People were urged to share their
vehicles decades ago when Europe was experiencing an oil crisis. Those who commute to work
every day in their own cars and need a carpool partner to split the cost of gas and other expenses
would profit most from carpooling. The second group to benefit are the people who commute to
work every day but who typically utilise alternative forms of transportation because public
transportation is uncomfortable, hazardous, and takes a long time to get there, leaving them
weary (Joshi et. al, 2015).

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It is crucial to consider how carpooling affects the level of traffic congestion. The major worry is
whether boosting the carpooling coefficient actually lessens the degree of traffic congestion in
urban areas. For instance, while carpooling is not a novel idea, Sri Lanka significantly lags
behind other nations in its successful implementation and operation. Over the years, the issue of
traffic congestion in large cities like Colombo and Kandy has continued to be unresolved. Traffic
congestion lengthens commuters' journeys, which causes wasteful use of Sri Lankan workers'
important time.

2.3 Encourage cycling in society

One of the most significant sources of air pollution exposure for people is from road vehicle
emissions. The exposure from travelling during rush hours along heavily travelled corridors may
make up a significant portion of the daily exposure, depending on the pollutant, method of
transportation, distance travelled, etc (e.g. Hanninen et al., 2004; Barrett et al., 2008; Dons et al.,
2012). Due to the close proximity of air intakes to neighbouring vehicles' exhaust fumes, high
exposures happen both inside of cars and when people are strolling or bicycling alongside roads
(Dons et al., 2012).

Walking and cycling are two of the major activities listed in the World Health Organization's
(WHO) Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018-2030. "Investing in policies to promote
walking and cycling can directly assist to reaching many of the 2030 Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs)," it was noted. The Toronto Charter for Physical Activity: A Global Call to Action
lists promoting walking and bicycling as one of the "Seven Best Investments" to raise population
levels of physical activity.

Cycling is an environmentally benign means of transportation because it is noiseless and emits

no emissions. Motorized transportation, on the other hand, is noisier and emits more
"greenhouse" gases that contribute to global warming. In addition, cycling can shorten other road
users' commutes and congestion, especially in urban areas. Companies might be reluctant to
locate in a region that is frequently plagued by traffic congestion, which could lead to delivery
and health issues as well as have a detrimental impact on the local economy. According to
Noland (1996), riding increased by over 10% for every 10% perceived increase in safety.
Cycling was seen as healthful, a method to release stress, and a nice family activity, according to
TRL.

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Traffic jams, air pollution, and health issues can all be resolved by cycling. Lives can be saved
by increasing the number of cyclists on the roads. In the paper titled "Safety in Numbers," Peter
Jacobsen discovered that "automobiles change their behaviour in the presence of people walking
and bicycling," which results in a decrease in the frequency of collisions between motorists and
walkers and bikers.

The majority of the air pollution from particles, ozone, and sulphur dioxide, which kills 24,000
susceptible individuals prematurely each year and causes a similar number to be hospitalised, is
caused by traffic. Asthma sufferers' symptoms are typically made worse by poorer air quality,
which has a greater impact on vulnerable groups. Because they are physically unprotected, it is
frequently believed that motor vehicle occupants are more exposed to air pollution than cyclists
and pedestrians. However, in slow moving traffic, such as that found during rush hour, car
occupants can also be subjected to greater pollutant levels.

So, improving the road infrastructure should be the first thing on your list of priorities. Other
emerging nations have roads that are specifically designated as a bicycle route. This is done to
protect cyclists' safety and to encourage people to utilise bicycles for transportation and daily
chores. ................................................................................

3.0 CONCLUSION

Slower speeds, longer travel times, and higher vehicular queuing are the hallmarks of the
transport condition known as traffic congestion. During the 1950s, the amount of traffic on
metropolitan road networks has significantly expanded. Congestion occurs when transportation
demand is high enough that interactions between cars slow down the flow of traffic. Although
any method of transportation may experience congestion, the focus of this article will be on
traffic congestion on public highways for cars. ......................................................................................................................................................................................................

Traffic congestion is always associated with the metropolis. Traffic congestion has grown to be a
significant issue in most cities as a result of the population and activity concentration in cities,
especially in the age of the automobile. Major capital investments and innumerable other
initiatives have been made to address traffic issues in light of the detrimental effects on people as
well as the significant economic, environmental, and societal consequences, yet little progress
has been seen.

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To address difficulties with pollution and traffic congestion, people have begun to consider
relocating from cities to their suburbs and rural areas. It is a bad idea, though, as it will only
cause further issues. Hence, it is likely that the suggestions to carpool and to bike will help to fix
the situation.

(2550 words)

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