IELTS Speaking – a journey you made that took longer than expected

These days, I usually cycle to university, which takes about twenty minutes. It's cheaper than taking a motorbike taxi, and it's a nice way to wake myself up in the morning. When it's pouring with rain, though, I give in and book a ride through an app, because arriving soaking wet isn't ideal.

Normally, it takes me around twenty minutes each way, which isn't bad at all for Hanoi. However, if I leave even ten minutes late, I get caught in rush-hour traffic, and the journey can easily double. So I've got into the habit of setting off early, and I often use the spare time to grab breakfast near campus.

Yes, occasionally. I take the bus when I need to go somewhere far across the city, and recently I've started using the new metro line, which is clean, air-conditioned and surprisingly punctual. To be honest, I'd use public transport more often if the network covered more areas, because at the moment many routes are quite limited.

I can ride a motorbike, of course, like almost everyone in Vietnam, but I can't drive a car yet. I'm planning to take driving lessons after I graduate, because it would be really handy for family trips. That said, I'm a bit nervous about driving in Hanoi, since the traffic can be pretty chaotic.

I'd like to talk about a bus journey I made from Hanoi to Sa Pa, in the mountains of northern Vietnam, about two years ago. It was supposed to take around six hours, but in the end it took almost eleven. I was travelling with my cousin to visit a friend of ours who was teaching English in a village near Sa Pa. We'd booked seats on an overnight sleeper bus, which was meant to leave Hanoi at ten in the evening and arrive early the next morning, giving us a whole day to explore. The first part of the journey went smoothly. We left on time, the roads were quiet, and I actually managed to get some sleep. But at around three in the morning, I woke up and realised the bus had stopped. It turned out that heavy rain had caused a landslide on the mountain road ahead, and rocks and mud were blocking both lanes. There was a long line of buses and lorries stuck behind us, and nobody knew how long it would take to clear. As for how I dealt with the situation, to begin with, I felt quite anxious, especially because the phone signal was very weak and I couldn't contact our friend. But my cousin was very calm, and we decided there was no point in worrying about something we couldn't control. Once it got light, we got off the bus, chatted with other passengers and shared our snacks with a family from Lao Cai. One of the drivers even made instant noodles for everyone on a little gas stove. Eventually, after about five hours, a bulldozer cleared the road and we continued. Looking back, it was frustrating, but it taught me to be more patient and flexible when travelling.

I'd say the root cause is that the number of vehicles has grown much faster than the road network. In Hanoi, for instance, there are millions of motorbikes and an increasing number of private cars, yet many roads are still narrow. Poor urban planning makes it worse, because offices, schools and shopping centres are concentrated in the same districts, so everyone travels in the same direction at the same time. Public transport has also been underdeveloped until recently. And finally, things like illegal parking and road works can easily turn a busy street into a complete standstill.

I'm in favour of restricting them, but a complete ban might be too extreme in some cities. Car-free centres, like those in parts of Oslo or Madrid, have shown that they can reduce pollution, make streets safer and give space back to pedestrians and cafés. However, for a ban to work, there has to be a reliable public transport alternative, otherwise people simply can't get where they need to go. You also have to think about elderly or disabled people and delivery vehicles. So I'd suggest a gradual approach, starting with pedestrian zones at weekends and expanding them over time.

Potentially, they could make a huge difference. If they become reliable, they might dramatically reduce accidents, since most crashes are caused by human error such as speeding or tiredness. They could also give independence to people who can't drive, like the elderly. Commuting might change too, because people could work or rest during the journey. However, I'm a little sceptical about how soon this will happen, especially in countries with unpredictable traffic like Vietnam, where motorbikes weave in all directions. There are also serious questions about safety, jobs for drivers and who's responsible when something goes wrong.

I think the main reasons are convenience and control. With a car or motorbike, you can leave whenever you like and go directly from door to door, without waiting or changing lines. This matters a lot for people with children or heavy shopping. Comfort is another factor, especially in hot weather, when standing on a crowded bus isn't very appealing. For some people, owning a car is also a status symbol. That said, I think attitudes are slowly changing, and if public transport becomes faster and more comfortable, more people will probably make the switch.