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Describe a transportation problem in your city/town

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card 336 with Model Answer:

Describe a transportation problem in your city/town.

You should say:
  • what the problem is
  • what the causes of this problem are
  • how it affects you
and explain how you think it might be solved.

[You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you're going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]

Model Answer:
Traffic congestion is a big problem in Hong Kong. In line with the increasing number of passengers, the number of vehicles is also growing at a fast pace, and it is worsening the situation. Traffic jams are perhaps the most severe transportation problem in Hong Kong, and I would like to talk about it here.

The main causes of traffic problems in Hong Kong are higher population density, an increasing number of vehicles and a limited number of roads. The roads are narrow in some points where cars and other vehicles cannot move smoothly. It gets worse when pedestrians also cross the streets at the same time. Finally, the number of private cars that run on the street is staggering, which contributes to traffic jams.

Like many other citizens here, I am also negatively affected by this problem. Reaching the office on time becomes difficult due to traffic gridlocks, and it kills my valuable time each day. I have to wake up early and leave home earlier than usual to beat the soaring traffic jam. I have to spend hours on the streets that I could have spent with my family. Finally, I often get tired due to the traffic jam, and it reduces my productivity as a person and as an employee.

I believe several steps could be taken to address this issue. Most of the streets are not wide enough. They should be widened, and alternative routes should be introduced. The increasing number of private cars is also a reason for the situation. So, if the number of private cars could be controlled and the streets could be made wider, I think the problem would be solved to some extent.

Idea generation for this Cue Card topic:  

"Describe a transport problem in your city/town." 

People commute every day to different places and thus need different types of transport in their day-to-day life. This cue card topic could be answered from some other points of view. The following hints would be effective to get ideas on how to approach this cue card topic.

1. Every weekday, I have to face and fight traffic congestion in Mumbai city, where I live. This is a big city, and it accommodates a huge population. Traffic congestion is a common issue here, and it kills our valuable time. To solve the problem, we need to restrict the number of private vehicles on the road and introduce strict traffic-related laws.

2. The town where I have been living for the last seven years or so has no metro rail and a fast transportation system despite being a large town with a high population. This is a severe problem for people like me who need to travel at least 80 kilometres per day. Establishing a metro trail or a subtle train system could be a good solution to this problem. 

3. I live in a large city, and public transportation in this city is not up to the mark. Since I have to commute daily and use public transportation, this is a big problem for me and many others like me. I think the government should invest money in improving the roads and public transport in our city.

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