The first car appeared on British roads in 1888. By the year 2000 there may be as many as 29 million vehicles on British roads. Alternative forms of transport should be encouraged and international laws introduced to control car ownership and use. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.

Compared to the earlier days where only the elite strata of the society used to have a vehicle, owning a car these days is fairly easy.

Consequently

,

this

has given rise to the number of vehicles on the road as well as the carbon-emissions they bring along. To keep in check the debilitating environmental effects, governments ought to have policies which curb individual ownership, and rather promote the use of other energy efficient modes of

transport

. I strongly agree and believe that improving a country's public

transport

system and policies, can help in many ways to control pollution.

Firstly

, the carbon footprint of people using private vehicles is much higher than those who use energy efficient modes, namely cycling, walking or even the public

transport

.

Furthermore

, the increasing pollution levels are the predominant reason for severe respiratory problems.

For example

, governments that have proactively taken measures to have environmentally friendly policies, rank higher on the air quality index. The Singapore government has almost 100% higher cost of possession of a car, leading to lesser number of vehicles on the road.

This

is possible as the government has a wide network of impeccable metro trains that make commuting on the island much easier for its citizens.

Secondly

, countries that promote alternative modes of

transport

like cycling, not only have better air, but

also

have a society

that is

comparatively fitter and healthier. To give an example, The Netherlands promotes cycling so much so, that they have designated lanes for cyclists.

This

helps in keeping the pollution under check, at the same time ensures that the citizens have a healthy lifestyle. Taking a cue from

this

, many countries have included cycling paths in their urban redevelopment planning. To conclude, I must admit that better policies around individual car ownership are the need of the hour. The authorities world over, should take steps to provide the citizens with

last

mile connectivity solutions.

This

will not only help curb the hazardous effect of fossil fuel, but

also

give the Earth a breath of fresh air.