Please review my answer for IELTS SPEAKING PART 3

[ Part 3 ]
Are traffic jams common in Vietnamese cities?
I guess traffic congestion is inevitable during rush hours in any city in Vietnam, so commuting is a daily problem for urban dwellers. The traffic in my hometown, Buon Ma Thuot city, is very light most of the time. But when it is at around 8 to 9 in the morning, and 5 in the afternoon, there is always a long line of bumper-to-bumper vehicles crawling at a snail’s pace. But it is nothing compared to the traffic state in Ho Chi Minh City, where I lived for about four years for university. During rush hours, the traffic is at a complete or near standstill most of the time, and you can encounter several gridlocks or bottlenecks. Apart from peak hours, the streets between 9 am to 10 am and between 3 pm to 4 pm are also crowded with vehicles.

2. Why are cities today facing serious traffic issues?
I think it is because urban areas tend to have a dense population, which partly causes by the growing trend of urban transition since people from rural areas or small cities flock to major cities to find better employment or education opportunities. A city usually has a high rate of vehicle ownership as it is rather easy for urban people to afford a motorbike, car, or at least a bike. This results in a large volume of vehicles on the roads. On top of that, many cities are not built with proper planning, which means that the existing road infrastructures tend not to facilitate the smooth flow of such a colossal amount of vehicles there. You can encounter several bottlenecks if you travel in HCM city as many narrow roads are incapable of accommodating the vehicles’ movements.

3. What can be done to improve traffic conditions in cities?
One method is to scatter working hours. For example, we could push back the working hours of public offices to 10 am, so they would commute at a different time compared to the 9-to-5 workers of private firms. I think this would dramatically reduce the flow of commuters during rush hours. Another is to upgrade the public transport system so that many more people would choose to use it instead of driving. I believe that if governments make taking public transportation more comfortable, convenient, and safer, citizens would feel less of the need to own and use a private vehicle, which would significantly ease traffic congestion. Besides, governments can also invest in building intersections, interconnecting roads, overloading bridges, or flyovers in high-traffic areas to facilitate travel there.

4. Can developing public transport help resolve traffic issues in cities?
I think it will definitely ease traffic pressure in cities. If it is convenient, comfortable, and safe for people to take a bus or train, they would undoubtedly feel less of the need to own and use a private vehicle. Therefore, improving public transport can bring down the number of vehicles on the road, freeing road space and reducing traffic congestion.