L6 — Viewpoints: Sample Practice

Host: Should public transportation be made free for all citizens? Guest 1, what do you think? Guest 1: Absolutely. Free public transit would encourage more people to leave their cars, reducing traffic and emissions. Cities like Tallinn in Estonia have tried this successfully. Host: What about the cost? Guest 1: The cost can be offset by environmental and economic benefits. Less congestion means lower road maintenance costs and better air quality, which reduces healthcare spending. Guest 2: I think this is unrealistic at a large scale. If transit is free, the funding has to come from somewhere — that means higher taxes, which isn't fair to people who live in rural areas and can't even use public transit. Guest 1: But people who don't use transit still benefit from less traffic and better air quality. Guest 2: Perhaps, but income-based subsidies would be smarter. You help those who truly need it without making the entire system free and potentially underfunded. Host: Guest 1, how do you respond to the underfunding concern? Guest 1: Tallinn actually saw ridership increase by 14 percent. More riders means the system is more efficient per passenger. And cities can redirect the money they currently spend on fare collection infrastructure. Guest 2: I'd still say start with a pilot programme in one district before committing the whole city.