Reducing Traffic Jam

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Reducing Traffic Jam
Traffic jams have become the daily experience for people in almost all big towns and cities. There are many reasons that have lead to this situation. First, the movement into towns is raising every day as most people prefer to work in urban areas as opposed to the rural areas. The designs of most towns are also poorly designed as they did not anticipate the expansion of roads or the huge numbers of people. Finally, the demand for cars has been rising every day as they have over time become quite cheap. Traffic jams if unchecked can negatively affect the productivity of a country due to the high number of hours wasted. But how can we control this situation?
Public transportation offers an efficient way of managing the problem. Public transport is somewhat cheaper as compared to using personal cars. High amounts of fuel are spent during traffic jams increasing the daily expenses of a motorist. Private car users should be encouraged to use public transport when traveling short distances (“Traffic Congestion: Why It’S Increasing And How To Reduce It”). Through public transport, the high number of vehicles will be reduced. This will minimize the congestion of traffic on the roads leading to a manageable fleet of cars.

It is also advisable to avoid driving during peak times. Peak time is the worst time to go out by the car. People should be advised to go out early to avoid being caught up in the traffic congestions.

If you stuck in the traffic in the peak time, you might lose a lot of time. Sometimes it is possible to lose two to three hours on the road which would have been spent on something constructive that would increase the overall productivity of a country. It would also be good if the working times for different jobs were restructured to feature different starting and end times. This would reduce the massive congestion of people and cars during the early hours and later in the evening as people find their way from work.
Car pooling is also another effective way of solving this issue. Sharing the car with your friends and workmates reduces the number of cars on the road hence reducing congestions. If you are heading in the same place or direction with someone else, why use different cars? Some cities have been encouraging carpooling through the creation of specific lines for those involved in carpooling.
It would also be advisable to use bicycles when traveling short distances so as to avoid the traffic. Most towns have encouraged this means of reducing traffic jams by having dedicated lines for bikes only. If three of five people use bicycles to go to their work, schools, or colleges, the traffic will be reduced. Bike riding is also a sporting as well as a means of keeping fit.
Renting or building of houses close to the place where you study or work will also reduce congestion of vehicles on the road. Many people involved in professional careers or other sectors usually live far from where they work. This situation leads to the creation of traffic jams in many roads as some people use more than five drives from their workplace to their homes.
Streets should also be expanded to increase their overall capacity. The biggest problem in this situation is that most of the roads are quite narrow and therefore accommodate few cars. Having three to four routes would be a great way of solving the issue.
Traffic police should also be more vigilant during the peak times to ensure the smooth flow of traffic in towns. They should closely watch for any violation of traffic rules such as overlapping of vehicles. They should also monitor all traffic jam points by the assist of modern technology through remote control centers and by announcing free numbers to call anytime a person noticed a jam or situations that can cause traffic jams.
Traffic rules and regulation should also be taught to students in all schools. They should be told what to do in different situations of traffic congestions. Walking and cycling should also be encouraged for students traveling short distances.
The use of modern technology will also go a long way in solving the situation. Mobile applications like G.P.S applications and other applications offer information in real time about the road situation and suggest alternative routes so as to avoid the traffic jams. Google Maps and Sygic navigation are some of the inventions that assist many road users in the management of traffic jams.
It should also be made more expensive to drive. The price of cars has with time greatly reduced due to the introduction of cheap cars from Japan and other countries. The cost of fuel has also drastically reduced all over the world. This situation has lead to the introduction of more cars in the roads leading to congestions (“Traffic Congestion: Why It’S Increasing And How To Reduce It”). Taxes should, therefore, be increased on car imports to make them more expensive. Fuel levies should also be raised to make fuel prices higher. All these strategies would significantly reduce the traffic jams on our roads.
Work Cited
“Traffic Congestion: Why It’S Increasing And How To Reduce It”. LivableStreets Alliance. N.p., 2016. Web. 6 Dec. 2016.