▶ Your Answer :
According to the reading passage, there are several advantages that congestion pricing has reportedly brought to the urban areas. However, the professor in the lecture casts doubts on this idea with the actual change discovered in where the policy is implemented, explaining that it is not as beneficial as it was thought to be.
To begin with, he argues that even though the number of traffic accidents did decrease with congestion pricing, more serious accidents are actually taking place. According to him, the reduced volume of traffic ultimately encouraged the drivers to drive at higher speed, which resulted in higher chances of fatal accidents. This argument refutes the reading passage, in which congestion pricing was considered to be an effective method for enhanced safety on roads.
On top of that, the professor also points out the long-term impact congestion pricing has on the city's public transportation system. To be specific, in spite of short-term convenience it may bring to the users of public transportation bring thanks to the reduced volume of traffic in the city, the public transportation will become overly crowded as private vehicles are discouraged due to the policy. This idea also questions the reported advantage of congestion pricing to the public transportation network mentioned in the reading passage.
Lastly, according to the professor, congestion pricing can actually deteriorate local business instead of helping them. In other words, since they have to pay fee for transportation, which is virtually an extra financial burden for them, their revenue will eventually shrink. With that being said, the positive impacts that congestion pricing may bring to business within the city, as it was illustrated in the reading passage, does not match with the reality. |