In a large urban area, some people will think that owning a car is necessary. They think it is convenient. At the same time, other people think that owning a car causes a lot of problems. So there are reasons for and against this idea and they will be presented in the following.
Many people own a car in the city for some good reasons. Firstly, owning a car, the drivers can move around freely. They do not need to check the bus schedule or wait for a train. They can go wherever they want at anytime. Sometimes, the bus may not reach certain destinations directly and the passengers need to change another bus. This is very inconvenient. But driving a car, one can go to their destination directly and quickly. So driving a car is much more convenient than riding public transport.
Secondly, it is more comfortable to drive a car especially in winter. When it is under bad weather, bus riders might need to stand in the rain or in the cold. Worse, during the peak hours, lots of people are packed inside the bus or train compartment. How uncomfortable it is! But owning a car, the driver can stay warm and dry inside his private space.
Thirdly, owning a car can ensure safety at night. Bus riders might need to walk down a dark street to a stop and the waiting time can be much longer at night. It is indeed dangerous to wait on a dark corner. But owning a car is different. If you have fun till midnight and there are no buses or trains but only a few taxis, you can drive your own can home and take a rest immediately. So with a car, you are safe and can stay away from dangers at night.
On the other hand, there are also problems with owning a car. Firstly, owning a car is not as simple as many think – it is very expensive. Wherever you go, you need to find a place for parking. Parking costs around $20 per hour. Although it isn’t much for an hour, you won’t park a car for just one hour. The parking hours are countless. Besides, the fuel for the car is extremely costly. Since the fuel is limited and its price keeps increasing, people who own a car must pay for expensive oil. In addition, car owners need to maintain and repair their car to keep it in good condition. So, not only buying a car costs money but also maintaining it.
Secondly, if everybody owns a car, it will easily cause traffic congestion. Traffic congestion makes lots of trouble. The car drivers need to wait for a long time to move an inch, which is much longer than waiting for a bus. What’s more, when the car driver is in a hurry but there is traffic congestion everywhere, this will only cause worry and stress. This makes owning a car not really convenient when traffic congestion is in the picture.
Thirdly, owning a car will damage the environment. Cars will cause different kinds of pollution such as noise and air pollution. Car drivers may always sound the car horn to urge others or the cars will produce some sounds while moving on the road. Added to the noise is the carbon dioxide emitted by the cars which makes the air foul. Besides, cars will use up a lot of energy such as petroleum and the electronic cars will use up a lot of electricity. Cars need energy to move, so they are consuming huge energy.
In conclusion, there are reasons for and against owning a car. It is good that owning a car, one can move freely, feels comfortable and is safe at night. But the downside of owning a car is it is expensive, causing traffic jams and is also unfriendly to the environment. Different people have different opinions. But I think owning a car should be opposed. We cannot own a car for our own comfort and convenience. We should also think of the environment. Owning a car causes lots of problems, so why do we still support it? Don’t be selfish, let’s ride more public transport and do something for the environment together.