Taxes are imposed on private cars by government to solve the traffic problem and also to improve public transport. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages.

Traffic

congestion

in cities around the world is becoming a major problem because of its impact on commuting times and air quality.

One

popular way of dealing with

this

is the imposition of

taxes

on vehicles,

such

as

car

tax, petrol duty and

congestion

charges.

However

,

while

these often have positive effects on reducing the levels of vehicle use, there are

also

some drawbacks.

One

of the main advantages of private vehicle taxation is that it reduces the

overall

volume of traffic, and

therefore

congestion

.

This

is because

taxes

make running cars significantly more expensive and if

this

is the case,

then

people will be more likely to use public transport.

For example

, in London, the

congestion

charge, a tax which is levied on any vehicles entering the centre of the city, has been remarkably successful in reducing the number of cars and encouraging people to use buses and the underground. Another key advantage is that vehicle taxation provides governments with money which can be invested in public transport, meaning that it’s effectively being subsidised by

car

drivers.

For instance

, even though many bus routes in my hometown don’t make a profit, these buses can operate because fares are paid partly by

taxes

on private transportation.

However

,

one

of the most significant drawbacks of

such

taxes

is their effect on families. Parents with young children much prefer the convenience of using a

car

rather than getting on a bus, but if

car

taxes

are high

then

they might not be able to afford to buy

one

. It follows that

car

taxation may place families under greater financial stress and children may be less safe if forced to walk to school. On the

,

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whole though,

taxes

on private vehicles have major benefits because of the way it reduces

congestion

and provides state authorities with a valuable source of revenue which can be used to enhance public transit systems. ,

However

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its impact on people, especially families, must not be underestimated. (328 words)