1 Traffic congestion is a serious problem in cities 4 Other, more creative, solutions to the congestion worldwide. There are simply too many vehicles problem are to increase the tax on fuel or to competing for too little space. The company make people pay to travel in the centre of a city Tom Tom, which does research on traffic in cities or on a motorway. If governments increase the worldwide, estimated that in 2015 the average cost of driving, people will think more carefully commuter wasted 100 hours during the evening about using their cars. However, taxing fuel and rush hour alone. In addition to wasting people's roads may mean that some people cannot afford time, traffic jams have many other negative to drive their cars, and they may have to give effects. Therefore, governments everywhere are up their jobs. Also, governments may not want working hard to find solutions to this problem to increase the fuel tax too much if the tax is 2 Traffic jams have negative effects on drivers, unpopular with voters cities and the environment. To begin with, they 5 A more popular solution, therefore, would be cause stress to drivers, which may lead to health to promote other forms of transport, like ferries, problems or road rage'. Traffic jams can also lead cycling and underground trains. One suggestion to economic losses because products cannot be is to encourage people to cycle more. Although delivered on time, and employees arrive late for cycling has obvious health benefits and does not work or meetings. Another negative effect is that pollute the air, it is not practical in every climate emergency services can become caught in traffic and can prove dangerous in heavy traffic. and are, therefore, unable to get to an emergency 6 Another possibility is to persuade people to use in time. Finally, traffic congestion negatively buses, although they are inconvenient for some affects the environment. Traffic congestion wastes people. A related option is a park-and-ride system fuel, which in turn produces more carbon which allows people to drive to the outskirts dioxide through car exhaust and contributes to of cities, park, and then take a bus to the city the greenhouse effect. Taken together, all these centre. This allows some flexibility for car drivers effects have a serious negative impact on the and reduces congestion in the centre of the city. quality of people's lives A disadvantage for people who work late shifts 3 Because of these serious effects, it is important is that many buses do not run at night. for cities and governments everywhere to take 7 Overall, cities are using a variety of methods steps to reduce road congestion. The most to tackle the problem of traffic congestion obvious solutions involve engineering. This Most of the methods have advantages as well means building more roads with wider lanes as disadvantages. We should encourage alternative so that more cars can travel at the same time, forms of transport because they reduce the as well as constructing tunnels and bridges to amount of traffic on the roads and also have a guide drivers around congested areas. However, positive effect on the environment the costs for engineering solutions are extremely high. Another problem is that more roads 'road rage (n) violence committed by angry drivers may actually result in more traffic In short, in traffic engineering solutions have both advantages exhaust (n) smoke that comes out of a car as a result of burning petrol and disadvantages. 'Late shifts (n) work hours that are late in the day or at night 1. Traffic congestion is a serious problem all over the world. a. True b. False 2. Which one is not a result of traffic jams? a. Stressed drivers b. Loss of money to the government C. Emergency services reaching on time d. Pollution 3. Constructing more buildings is a solution to the problem of traffic congestion. a. True b. False 4. Which option is not true: Building more roads will: a. Cause the government spend more money b. Increase the number of vehicles on the roads C. Commuters will have to walk long distances d. Traffic congestion will be reduced 5. Which option is not true: Another solution to reduce traffic congestion is: a. Increase the price of fuel b. Make people pay to go to different places in the city C. Asking people to work from home 6. What are some advantages of cycling? a. It is a good exercise b. It does not add to pollution c. It enables less traffic jams d. It is dangerous in heavy traffic 7. Park-and-Ride system means: a. Park your car and drive another car b. Park your car and walk to work c. Park your car and use a bus 8. Which one is a disadvantage of park-and-ride system? a. Less traffic on the roads b. Flexibility for car drivers c. People missing buses at night