Plan this opinion essay about transport with the ideas and outline below, write it on a 40-minute timer, then compare it with a band-8 model answer.
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Public transport should be free for everyone in order to reduce traffic and pollution.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
GoPrep wrote this practice question in the style of the exam. It is not an official IELTS question.
Pick two or three points from one or both columns. You do not need all of them, and your own examples score better than memorised ones.
Spend the first few minutes planning, then write.
0 words of 250 minimum
Your answer stays on this page only. Copy it before you leave.
Write your own answer first, then compare: how it answers the exact question, what each paragraph does, and which phrases you could borrow.
Some people suggest that public transport should be free so that fewer people use their cars. I partly agree with the aim, but I do not think that completely free travel is the best way to achieve it; low fares would be a wiser policy.
The case for free transport has clear merits. Removing the fare would encourage many drivers to leave their cars at home, easing congestion and cutting emissions. It would also help low-income families, students and the unemployed, who currently spend a significant part of their income on getting to work or school. The city of Tallinn, for example, has offered free travel to residents for years and reported greater mobility among poorer groups, as well as fewer cars in the centre.
However, there are serious practical difficulties. Fares usually cover a considerable share of operating costs, and if they disappear, the money must come from taxes, which could mean cuts to schools or hospitals. With less income, services may deteriorate, leading to crowded vehicles, fewer routes and poorer maintenance, and that would discourage people from using them. Free travel may also attract people who would otherwise walk or cycle, which is healthier and cleaner, rather than drivers. Research suggests that the quality of service, in terms of frequency, speed and reliability, matters more to car owners than the price.
A better solution is to keep fares low and offer generous discounts to students, pensioners and people on low incomes, while investing the revenue in improving the network.
In conclusion, free public transport would have social and environmental benefits, but the cost and the risk of declining quality are significant. I therefore believe that affordable, high-quality services are more effective than making travel free.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| fare | price of a ticket |
| subsidise | support with public money |
| commuter | person who travels to work |
| overcrowding | too many people in a space |
| modal shift | change to different transport types |
| infrastructure | basic physical systems |
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