Both government investment in public transport systems and reductions in public transport ticket prices will help to reduce transport pollution greatly. Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

I think that investment in public transportation by the state, keeping fares as minimum as possible will greatly help reduce vehicular emissions, because a well-executed government intervention towards improving reliability and accessibility in public transport can lead to citizens’ attraction towards public

vehicles

, greatly reducing the number of carbon-emitting private ones, as discussed in the ensuing paragraphs.

Firstly

, the more the government invests, the better the infrastructures of mobility will be established. If the investments are directed not only towards purchasing

vehicles

but

also

to bettering their quality

such

as making them more clean, comfortable, efficient and accessible to

people

with disabilities, a larger segment of

people

will find themselves stepping into them.

For instance

, when the Kathmandu Metropolitan introduced cutting-edge 'Express Busses' plying on designated lanes, many

people

reported that they left their private

vehicles

at home, as express busses were convenient, and helped them reach destinations on time.

Moreover

, public transport will be more attractive if they are operated at affordable rates. It is evident that increasing fuel prices have left a huge dent in the pockets of private owners, so it is natural for

people

to get inclined to cheaper alternatives provided that they are equally comfortable and efficient as private ones, hugely reducing the number of carbon-emitting

vehicles

plying on the road. A survey by Kantipur Television for its 'Janamat' programme, showing that 75% of respondents would have never considered buying private

vehicles

if public ones had been well-managed and efficient, serves as a compelling illustration of how eager the general public is to transit to public transportation. In conclusion, I concur with the fact that the vehicular carbon footprint can be significantly reduced if the government invests to make public transportation more reliable and affordable, as a huge segment of inflation-burned petrol and diesel engine users will be shifting their gears towards them.