24 June, 2023 IELTS Speaking Part 2,3 Traffic Sample Answer

These questions were reported by IELTS test takers from a test conducted in India.

Part 2:

Talk about a time when you were stuck in a traffic jam. Please tell me

• When it happened
• Where it happened
• How did you spend your time waiting

Answer:

There are a lot of instances which drive one up the wall. For me, it’s being stuck in traffic. I faced one such situation recently while I was returning home from work. It happened last week, on Friday. I remember vividly that it had started to rain in the evening, just as I was about to leave the office. It started off as a light drizzle but it soon escalated and started pouring heavily. It was raining cats and dogs, when I pulled my car out of the parking lot. Usually, I would avoid driving in such a weather condition but it was already getting late and I did not want to get delayed any further. As soon as I reached the main road, I was stuck in traffic which was barely moving. It was partially due to the rain and also because of the rush hour as people were just leaving their offices. At first, I started to get annoyed as I wanted to reach home as soon as possible. After a while, I decided to calm down and listen to some songs. I connected my phone to the Bluetooth system and started listening to my favourite artists. It helped me to pass the time and it actually made me feel better. For instance, I listened to the new album by Taylor Swift and got familiar with all of the latest songs that the artist had released. It instantly uplifted my mood and I started to enjoy the rain rather than loathe it. Meanwhile, I replied to all the pending text messages and emails that were on my plate that day. This time allowed me to clear the mundane tasks of the day that were left undone. After a while, the traffic cleared and I made my way home. To encapsulate, I would say that although traffic jams are something which I highly dislike, it allowed me some time to rejuvenate and be in the present moment rather than getting all worked up about it.

Part 3

• When do traffic jams usually happen?

Traffic jams usually occur at peak hours such as when people are leaving for work early in the morning. The rush hour usually lasts from 7 am to 10 am. Likewise, traffic jams occur in the evening as well when people are leaving from work and are driving back home. Again, this takes place around 6 pm to 9 pm. This intensifies on Mondays and Fridays as people travel to and from outstations on these days.  

• What are the causes of traffic jams?

Traffic jams occur due to numerous reasons. Sometimes, it can be because of a road closure or diversion which can cause all the vehicles to divert into a smaller space which causes congestion. On the other hand, sometimes there can be an accident which occurs due to which the vehicles have to slow down. Also, occasionally it can be due to unpleasant weather such as rain which causes flooding and water logging. Out of all the reasons, I believe construction work and road closures are the most prominent ones.

• Do you think traffic congestion will decrease or get worse in the future?

I believe traffic congestion will increase in the future as day by day, we are observing an increase in the number of vehicles on the roads. With the constant increase in population and advancement of technology, people are open to buying vehicles for ease of transportation. This in turn implies that we are going to face more and more traffic on roads in the coming future.

• What measures do you suggest to solve the traffic problem?

There can be numerous solutions to negate the issue of traffic. First and foremost, people should be open to the idea of car-pooling so that numerous people can reach their destination together instead of driving individual vehicles. Secondly, the government should plan on widening highways and roads so that more cars can be driven without causing traffic jams. Lastly, people should try to use public transport for their daily commute to reduce traffic on roads. For instance, public buses and the metro can be used by people to travel shorter distances.