One way to solve the problem of congestion in cities is to build sky trains which run overhead rather than on or under the ground. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using this solution to solve congestion?

 


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MODEL ANSWER | BAND 8.0

According to some people, building sky trains is a better way to solve traffic problems in cities than building ground railways or underground tubes. In this essay I will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of sky trains in terms of their ability to ease traffic congestion.

On the one hand, there are numerous benefits to operating sky trains. To start with, overheard railways occupy minimal land. They do not require much land space apart from the land required for constructing pillars and tube stations. Hence, they leave enough space for other forms of ground transport and eventually reduce traffic congestion.

A perfect example of this is seen in the Indian capital New Delhi, where the recent construction of overhead tubes helped diminish road traffic. Secondly, this mode of conveyance is much faster than other forms of transport. Overhead tubes will take significantly less time than cars or ground trains to reach one destination from another. Thus, they save commuting time and at the same time reduce traffic.

On the other hand, there are a few drawbacks to sky trains which cannot be overlooked.  One evident disadvantage is the humungous cost it takes to construct overhead tubes. A major portion of any government’s budget goes into the making of overhead network of trains. Because of these financial constraints, sky trains are not in the priority list of most governments. Safety is another concern. Since the tubes move on narrow concrete paths, it is considered an extremely unsafe mode of conveyance. In addition to these risk factors, emergency evacuation is not always possible in the event of a mishap.

In conclusion, sky trains are certainly more effective than surface or underground trains in easing traffic congestion in cities; however, their downsides cannot be overlooked.

McBrown