Persuasive essay - Private cars should be banned in Hong Kong

In this modern world, the majority of people in rich cities own cars. Cars are cool, comfortable, and convenient. But have people ever thought about and realized the damage private cars are doing to our community? I think not. People buy cars for their own benefit, with no regard for the fact that the emissions from vehicles are contributing to global warming. Moreover, especially in overpopulated Hong Kong, the high density of private cars causes massive traffic jams and accidents. Therefore, the environment would be better off if private cars were banned in Hong Kong. It would not only reduce the effect of global warming, but also decrease the risk of disastrous accidents. Therefore, I strongly believe that all private cars should be banned in Hong Kong for the benefit of our polluted society.

Hospital deaths due to respiratory and circulatory diseases, and nitrogen dioxide and respiratory moralities, reflect the impact of air pollution in Hong Kong caused by car emissions. A lot of people are suffering from asthma attack due to the polluted air in Hong Kong. And there is too much oxide going into the atmosphere and producing the greenhouse effect.

In Hong Kong, nearly 10 % of the population own cars. And the density of traffic is really high, meaning if everyone drives their car at the same time, there is not enough road space to accommodate all cars. So there will be more traffic jams and a much higher risk of accidents. In one week, there is at least a few car crashes, and on a yearly basis, there is bound to be at least a few hundreds.

Also, getting caught in a traffic jam wastes a lot of fuel with undue emissions causing even more air pollution. Fuels are expensive in Hong Kong and fossil fuels are running out rapidly. If people do not take private cars and use public transport instead, then less fuel is used.

Every morning when we go to school, there is always traffic jam, and at least half the road space is taken up by private cars. In Hong Kong, rarely a 7 seat car is full. It is almost impossible to find one that is full. So that wastes a lot of space. If people take public transport instead, the seats will be fully utilized.

Despite all those disadvantages, I must say that cars are more comfortable than public buses, and that we have more space and freedom inside our own vehicle. Also most people consider taking private cars saves more time than waiting for buses. But have people ever pondered that taking public buses is just as fast without the private cars blocking the road, and having private cars actually obstructs and slows down the travelling speed and therefore wastes even more time. And owning a private car is only for our own selfish enjoyment.

People may argue that with more people using private cars, car manufacturers enjoy more business, but that would also mean lower requirement for public vehicles and hence fewer jobs for bus drivers. If everyone believes that every family should own a car, public transport will no longer be in demand and many jobs will be lost to the local community.

With all these disadvantages, I believe that establishing a law to ban private cars is the right thing to do. It not only helps save money, decreases the risk of car accidents, eases traffic flows, but also contributes to a better environment. I forcefully urge that we should ban private cars in Hong Kong.