IELTS Writing Task 2 Topic: Spend money on roads and motorways than on public transport systems

Courtney Miller

5 min read

Updated On Nov 06, 2022

Sample Essay
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The Essay Writing section of the IELTS Writing Module can be a difficult task for many IELTS Aspirants. Thus, it is vital that you polish your essay writing skills before attempting the IELTS.

Below is a sample IELTS Essay for the IELTS Essay topic:

Some people think it is more important to spend money on roads and motorways than on public transport systems. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

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Sample Essay

It is argued that more funds should be allocated to roads and motorways rather than to public transport systems. I am in complete disagreement with this opinion.

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On the one hand, I can understand why spending money on road networks gains the support of many people. Their view is that better road quality would increase the levels of safety and ease traffic congestion. Firstly, the better quality of motorways means a considerable decline in road mortality and injury rates. This is justifiable since the roads in some countries are fraught with holes and obstacles, plaguing people with danger and insecurity. In this sense, the amelioration of poor road infrastructures would ensure the safety of travellers. Secondly, expanding roads and building more motorways are believed to curb traffic jams. Traffic congestion is a major concern in big cities where massive numbers of vehicles travel on the road during hours of peak demand. This vexed problem could be tackled as wider roads provide maximum travel time in free-flowing traffic.

However, I would argue that spending on public transport is a better investment for a few reasons. Compared to vehicles, high-capacity public transit modes can accommodate a larger number of passengers at a time. This could be exemplified by integrated and expansive public transport networks in Australia. Recent estimates indicate that each train on Sydney’s railways removes approximately 1000 cars from its roads. Therefore, a modal shift from private to public transport would tremendously alleviate urban congestion which has been considered as one of the productivity bottlenecks in developed economies. Moreover, efficient public transport systems are a contributor to a cleaner environment. By removing cars from streets, public transit plays a pivotal role in the abatement of carbon emissions. Not only does this reduce air pollution, but it also mitigates the effects of climate change as a whole.

Based on the above-mentioned arguments, I acquiesce in the view that money should be invested in public transport systems rather than road networks.

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Comment :

This essay is very well written. There is no serious mistake in terms of grammar and word choice, in my opinion. However, I have my reservations about the task response, as I am not sure if the second paragraph is relevant to the question. In your shoes, I would write a different essay:

· Introduction: I agree that spending on public transport is better than on the road system.

· Body 1: Benefits of allocating the public purse to public transport.

· Body 2: Drawbacks of widening the road system. 1: This merely encourages the use of private vehicles. 2: In some cities, land is scarce, so building more roads is far-fetched.

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There is no doubt to the fact that public infrastructure and services are in dire need of improvement. The dilemma arises when the administration has to decide which sector is in immediate need of financial aid. The debate on whether government spending should be focussed on the refinement of roads and pavements or should public funds be allocated to ameliorate the public transportation network has been going on for ages. In my opinion, the priority of the authorities should be to raise the quality of the substratum of transportation, that is the thoroughfares.

First and foremost, it is important to understand that public roadways are utilized by the population of the entire nation. As we know, if a local alleyway is not fit for travel, it creates complications in the entire locality. Similarly, when a high road situated in the centre of a metropolitan city is filled with potholes, and the flow of traffic is disturbed, the effect of such inefficiencies is felt by nearly the entire city. Such nuisances are a consequence of second-rate building materials used for paving roads due to the lack of sufficient resources provided by the administration.

Furthermore, expressways are the foundation on which both public and private vehicles are supposed to travel. Thus, if the condition of urban motorways is not suitable for conveyance, then the condition of the vehicles actively making use of such routes is bound to deteriorate leading to a surge in the cost of maintenance of public transport for the government. Moreover, it is an observable fact that faulty roadways need to be repaired more frequently which is a huge burden on government finances.

Although, we also need to acknowledge the substandard state of the urban transportation services in certain areas of the country. However, the development of roadway networks should precede that of the communal transportation system as these streets and highways are the primary modes of passage for the masses.

Finally, I would like to say that, the strength of any structure lies in the base of that establishment. Thereby, before attempting to enhance the means of public transport, we must better the path on which such systems will operate.