IELTS Speaking – Phương tiện công cộng

Not as often as I should, to be honest. I take the metro maybe twice a week when I'm going into the city centre, because parking there is a nightmare. For longer journeys, like visiting my hometown, I prefer the overnight train, since it's cheaper than flying and I can sleep on the way.

It depends on how crowded it is. If I get a seat, I usually listen to a podcast or read a few pages of a novel. If I'm standing, I just look out of the window and people-watch, which I actually find quite entertaining. I try not to check work emails, because that's my last bit of free time before the office.

No, it's quite affordable. A bus ticket costs less than a cup of coffee, and students and elderly people get discounts or even travel free. The metro is a little pricier, but still reasonable. The real issue isn't cost; it's that the network doesn't yet cover enough of the city.

Hardly at all. Like most kids in my town, I was taken to school on the back of my dad's motorbike. The only time I remember taking a bus was on school trips, when the whole class would sing all the way there. I didn't take a train until I went to university.

I'm going to talk about the new metro line in my city, which I've been using a couple of times a week since it opened. It runs from the city centre out to the eastern suburbs, partly underground and partly on an elevated track. I usually take it from a station near my office to a large shopping area where I meet friends on Friday evenings, and occasionally all the way to the end of the line to visit a cousin. The experience is generally very pleasant. The trains are clean, air-conditioned and, most importantly, punctual, so I can plan my evening down to the minute. The elevated section offers a great view of the river and the skyline, especially at sunset. It does get packed during rush hour, though, and I sometimes have to let one train go because I can't squeeze on. Overall, I feel really positive about it. For years, getting across the city meant sitting in traffic jams and breathing in exhaust fumes, so being able to glide past all that feels almost luxurious. I also feel a bit of local pride, because it took a very long time to build and many people doubted it would ever open. My only wish is that the network would expand faster, so that more neighbourhoods could benefit from it.

Mainly because of convenience and flexibility. With your own vehicle you can leave whenever you want and go door to door, whereas public transport often involves walking to a stop, waiting and changing lines. In many cities the network simply doesn't reach where people live or work. There's also a status element: owning a car is still seen as a sign of success in some cultures. Until public transport becomes faster and more comprehensive, many people won't switch.

It's an attractive idea, and a few cities in Europe have already tried it. Free fares can encourage people to leave their cars at home, which reduces congestion and pollution. However, someone still has to pay, usually through taxes, and if the money isn't there, services may become overcrowded or poorly maintained. I think a more realistic approach is to make it free for groups who need it most, such as students, pensioners and low-income workers.

In theory, everyone benefits, but certain groups gain more than others. Commuters who live far from the centre save the most time, and people who can't drive, like the elderly or teenagers, gain more independence. Property owners near new stations often see the value of their homes rise sharply. Ironically, that can push out lower-income renters, so the people who most need cheap transport may end up being priced out of the areas it serves.

I expect we'll see a big shift towards electric vehicles, including buses and motorbikes, which should make cities quieter and cleaner. Ride-sharing and self-driving taxis might reduce the need to own a car at all. I also hope city planners will give more space to pedestrians and cyclists, as some European cities have done. The biggest uncertainty is whether developing countries can afford the infrastructure fast enough to keep up with population growth.