What are the pros and cons of using public transport?
Over the last few years, there has been a renewed interest about public transport. For many people, especially young adults, is no more sustainable to move in a private car and they are willing to find a more environmentally friendly way to commute. In this essay, I will highlights some of the advantages of public mobility, as well as the main disadvantages, trying to determine if the former outweighs the latter.
One of the main benefits of public transit, as I just mentioned, is the fact that is a way to move around that is more efficient and therefore less polluting. It adheres at the increasingly popular mentality of “going green” and it is a way to reduce the ecological footprint left by humans.
Secondly, another pro of using public transportation is simply that is much cheaper. This is a more down to earth consideration, but it can mean a lot for the monthly budget of students or low-income families. You will spare money on gas, taxes, maintenance and insurance.
However, using buses, metro, trains, etc. has some important disadvantages too. In many cities, the local public transit system is not efficient, so you can end up wasting a lot of time and this is not something professionals or people with a tight schedule can afford to do.
Another major issue is that public transport is not always the answer for every needs. For example, a part from the largest cities, in medium sized ones often there is no service during the night. Or your needs could be different and you need your own private car, for example if you have to move from your apartment and have to pack your things, or if you need to take care of an elderly person.
In conclusion, there are clearly both advantages and disadvantages in terms of public versus private transportation. Even if the current legislation is trying to incentivize the use of public transit, I do not think that in the near future we will get rid of our private cars.