Some people think it is more important to spend money on roads and motorways than on public transport systems. To what extent do you agree? Whether the government budget should be invested in traffic infrastructure or public transport systems is open to debate.
To start with, better road quality would have an instant positive effect on the
daily commute of citizens. In developing countries, it is relatively more convenient to travel by private vehicles in lieu of waiting for buses and trains with restricted routes and schedules. However, the staggering number of cars, motorbikes and scooters has led to one of most the aching issues in downtown areas which is urban traffic congestion in downtown areas. A feasible measure to this matter is that the authority should spend money on expanding road capacity and implement road improvement scheme. As a result, there will be more space for a larger volume of traffic and safer roads for all inhabitants.
On the other hand, state funding for public transport is another radical resolution to the increasing traffic density. Take the metro systems in Hanoi which are currently under construction and projected to be in operation by 2020. Beside road building and maintenance, major cities like Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh city invested a huge chunk of money in its metro projects to cope with heavy congestion and frequent traffic accidents. Moreover, better public transport system would create a major lifestyle shift, encouraging people to give up their private vehicles. In other words, promoting the use of public transport would dramatically alleviate air pollution particularly in emerging economies.
In short, I believe that similar amount of money should be allocated to road and public transport to ensure smooth traffic flow.
