IELTS Writing Task 2 with sample answer.
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Should governments spend more money on improving roads and highways, or should governments spend more money on improving public transportation (buses, trains, subways)?
Why? Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay.
Sample Answer:
Nowadays, traffic congestion, air pollution and car accident are the pressing problems in our city life. Government makes several policies for combating these grave problems. It directs many developmental works, such as improving roads and highways, improving public transportation, and so on. There is a heated debate that government should allot more budget on improving roads and highways or should spend more on public transportation. In this case, I buttress the policy that government should focus more on improving public transportation because this policy can fight against above mentioned problems effectively.
Both the purchasing capacity and attitude of people have changed to a great extent. People now want to lead a cozy life and, for that, they are ready to spend money as much as they can. People who have least ability to afford a car tend to buy a car. Consequently, the volume of private vehicles hitting the highways is rising dramatically every year that largely contributes to the traffic congestion. This is where public transportation will come to play. It will dissuade people to have private vehicles. This means that there will be fewer vehicles on the roads. Fewer vehicles mean less traffic congestion. And less traffic congestion will ensure that we will not get stuck in the gridlock point in the rush hour. That is why I am a proponent of spending more money on improving public transportation.
Likewise, public transportation can also alleviate environmental pollution. Every year new cars coupled with old ones are terribly contributing to the environmental pollution. As a result, day by day, our cities are becoming worse for living. But if subway lines are reached every corner of the city, people will not use their cars to commute. So, the subways can contribute effectively to lessen the number of private vehicles. That is to say that public transportation means fewer private vehicles, and that means less pollution.
Similarly, the excessive pressure of private vehicles on the road causes several accidents across the city. Hundreds of people are killed and maimed in car accidents every month. As public transportation can lessen the number of cars on the roads, accidents will decrease sharply. Citizens will feel more secure in this case.
At this juncture I want to conclude by supporting again that government should spend more money on developing public transportation. Because public transportation is more capable to reduce traffic congestion, environmental pollution, and accidents, and that is why by improving public transportation, we can make a safer, healthier and enjoyable city for us to live.