Question

What are the key sources of urban congestions and their effects on urban lives in the context of health and sustainability? As a part of solution suggested by many economists and policy experts suggested to significantly reduced the cars driving to cities. Why do you think that the limiting the cars to the metropolitan and cosmopolitan cities would be extremely difficult by city authorities in near future?

Answer 1

The key sources of urban congestions is the increasing number of cars, bikes, public transport buses etc. The high concentration of cars, bikes and public transportation system in urban areas has contributed to increase in urban pollution thereby resulting in heath problems for the people living in urban areas. A large population of people living in urban areas face respiratory problems, skin diseases , mental stress due to high level of noise pollution etc. The explosion of passenger vehicle growth has congested urban areas and further growth of passenger vehicles will put high stress of urban infrastructure and in near future urban area will not be able to sustain such a large growth in vehicular population . Urban areas face their own infrastructure limitations and the already congested roads cannot take any more vehicular traffic .

If city authorities limit  the cars to the metropolitan and cosmopolitan cities then people will have to make use of public transportation system. In many urban areas, public transportation system is not very well developed and people rely upon their own vehicles for their transportation needs. By placing the limit, people in urban areas will find it difficult to commute thereby the city's economy will be affected adversely.