Question

In at least 4 paragraphs discuss the social and economic costs of heavy reliance on automobiles for transportation. Explain what alternative options policymakers can consider to reduce some of these costs.

Answer 1

Automoblies have various implications and costs that are attached to it in lieu of their convenience listed below:-

• pollution which is created by such vehicles
• health problems posed by such pollution which can cost lives
• noise pollution caused by traffic jams
• affluents discharged in water bodies from vehicle production plants
• loss of lives due to reckless driving.

These are some social implications.

• production of automobiles give employment opportunities to people employment in automobile manufacturing,steel manufacturing and oil extracting organisations.
• employment opportunities to those inviolved in infrastructure development
• sources of government revenue in the form of taxes.
• need for increase in government expenditure on healthcare due to various hazards caused by vehicles to both nature and humans.

These are some economic implications.(the first 3 are positive implications of automobile industry)

Thus we can see that social costs are much more in comparison to economic benefits and the only major economic cost for the government is increases expenditure in human sensitisation on issues regarding pollution and increased healthcare expenditure which would mean that government should look at discouraging car sales and move towards other alternate source of transportation.

Some ways in which it can be dealt with to mitigate social and economic costs are:-

• Putting a ban on vehicles which is neither feasible nor viable as it will cost a lot in terms of employment, livelihood and economic growth to the country.
• Employing quota on sale of vehicles such that vehicles sold reduce which will help in reducing the social cost of such vehicles
• Increasing tariffs and taxes on vehicles which will increase the price of automobiles and dicourage their usage and sale to some extent.
• Hiking petrol and deisel prices so people use personal automobiles less and use public transportation more to save money.
• Providing subsidies on sale of automobile alternatives like CNG vehicles, Electric vehicles and cycles so that people are more induced to buy such modes of transportation and rely less on autmobiles.
• Sensitising the public with regard to implications created by use of such vehicles but that would be difficult to implement and may not have much impact on the people in general and aslo it would be viewed as anti-automobile industry move backed by the government.

YOU CAN ADD MORE MATERIAL ACCORDING TO YOU WISH BUT THESE ARE THE MAJOR POINTS TO JUSTIFY OUR STAND.