Transportation is a crucial matter for any person. Whether you are an entrepreneur or a worker, a student or a senior citizen, having access to transportation will greatly help in just about every aspect of your daily life.
There are two main ways to get from point A to point B: Use the mass transport system or go for personal cars. Each definitely has its own set of advantages and shortcomings. This begs for an answer to an important question: Which system should you choose? A pros and cons approach to looking at both personal cars and mass transport will try to uncover the answers.
Personal Cars: Pros
Getting a private car is one of the hallmarks of personal independence. There are specific advantages provided by having your own car. First, it allows you to go virtually everywhere at any time, especially to places where public transport is either unavailable or impractical. Second, it allows you to reduce your travel time significantly if you know how to navigate well. Third, you get all the perks of having a personal car: privacy, time flexibility, and the ability to take both people and luggage with you with ease. Fourth, you have the freedom to pick a car that best fits your needs and your preferences (ex.: you have the option to choose from various business insurance quotes for cars). Last but not least, having your own car provides a feeling of freedom and satisfaction.
Personal Cars: Cons
While getting your own car sure has its advantages, there are also disadvantages associated with it. First, each time you drive, you contribute to the number of cars on the road at a particular time, meaning you contribute to increasing traffic. With traffic, Second, all expenses of transport (fuel, maintenance, occasional repairs, and the like) are to be paid out of your own pocket. Third, you add to the world’s already increasing carbon footprint, which means you are contributing to the steady decline of the environment’s health. (In fact, according to publictransportation.org, if your car’s gas mileage is 38 and you travel a total of 100 miles a week, your carbon dioxide or CO2 emission is equivalent to 51.05 lbs. — which is A LOT.) Fourth, the value of most automobiles tend to depreciate over time, which means you can never get full value for it should you decide to let it go and even if you have already chosen your coverage from several business insurance quotes.
Mass Transport: Pros
A good and reliable mass transport system is considered as one of the best signs of progress in any country. Mass transport will help a large number of people get from one location to the next in an efficient manner. Such systems allow the transportation of multiple people while using minimal amount of resources (such as fuel and electricity). A good mass transport system helps in minimizing traffic by reducing the number of vehicles on the road. People can also save money because all they need to pay for is the fare. There are also a number of situations wherein mass transport is the fastest means to get from one area to the next.
What’s more, by using mass transportation, you are actually helping people get more jobs. According to the American Public Transportation Association, around a million jobs are created and sustained, thanks to public transport. You are also helping do your bit in taking care of Mother Earth, as taking mass transport is tantamount to 900,000 vehicle gas fill-ups per day.
Mass Transport: Cons
Of course, if there are advantages, there would also be disadvantages. First, your travel range can be very limited. In areas where mass transport is well-developed, this is not much of a problem, but this is not the case in a number of localities worldwide. Second, there is the practicality factor. There are specific situations wherein taking mass transport can be very difficult (e.g. travelling with children, carrying heavy luggage). Third, there are potential concerns regarding passenger safety and privacy. According to this personal injury lawyer, many people underestimate the risks they take when they are taking public forms of transportation. Mass transport can get crowded during rush hour, and there’s no telling who you will be riding with at a particular moment. Fourth, funding the development of these systems can be expensive, and it usually involves government money (which means taxes). Mass transport is very helpful, but there is a limitation to its overall usefulness.
The Verdict
Is there a specific means for transportation better than the others? It’s tough to say for certain. The best way to look at it is to see that both approaches have their merits. In fact, a person can benefit from both systems at the same time. There are situations when taking mass transport is the best way to get from point A to point B, and there are also situations when using a private vehicle is the best way to do it. It basically depends on the journey and destination. The bottom line is this: You can’t go wrong with having your own car and having access to a mass transport system at the same time. However, if you’ll only choose one system, choose the one that best fits your needs.
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Lindsey Patterson is a freelance writer and entrepreneur who specializes in business technology, customer relationship management, and lead management. She also writes about the latest social trends, specifically involving social media.