Describe the time when you were stuck in a traffic jam.
I live in a small town and generally, there is not much traffic on the roads. When there is a religious procession or a political rally, we have to face a traffic jam. And most of the time, they are announced in advance so I rarely get stuck in a traffic jam. However, last month I went to Jalandhar to buy some clothes for my cousin's wedding.
You should say:
- When and where it happened
- How long have you been in a traffic jam?
- What did you do while waiting?
- And tell us how you felt when you were in that traffic jam.
Click Here To Download IELTS Writing e-Book 2022
May to August 2022 IELTS Speaking Cue Cards (Simple Answer)
There was no traffic when we left. On the way back, the main road was closed due to collision of two buses between Phagwara, my hometown and Jalandhar.
Large cranes had to be ordered to remove the buses from the roads and it took time. This being a main road, it gradually became a major traffic jam. Traffic police tried to divert traffic through the service road. But the road was much narrower than the main road and this caused traffic congestion.
We were stuck in a traffic jam for at least 2 to 3 hours. At first, we didn't think we would have to wait that long. We thought it was busier than usual and things would clear up soon. However, when our car barely drove 100 meters in 15 minutes, my father walked out and asked what had happened.
We couldn't actually back up because there was no space. So we tried to use our time playing games and listening to music. To be honest, we also spent a lot of time crying about government failure, even though we all knew that such situations were inevitable.
I don't think I can describe how we felt then.
We all wanted the traffic jam to go away and get home as soon as possible. But as far as I'm concerned, the day ended on a happy note. Because we arrived home late, my mother did not have time to cook. And we got pizza to eat for dinner.
Follow-up
1. Are traffic jams common in Indian cities?
Yes, India has a large population and traffic jams are not uncommon especially in big cities like Delhi, Bombay, Chennai and Kolkata. In addition, there is a bad culture of parking cars on the roads in India, which reduces the space available for parking and causes traffic jams.
2. Why do cities today have serious transportation problems?
I think the main cause of serious traffic issues is increasing urbanization. More and more people are moving to cities for better quality of life but with more cars than roads. In addition, the roads in some older cities are narrow because they were not designed with today's cars in mind. These narrow roads block traffic and cause traffic jams.
3. What can be done to improve the traffic situation in cities?
First of all, I think the government should encourage the use of public transport by making it more comfortable and faster. For example, the traffic situation in Delhi has improved significantly since the launch of the Delhi Metro. Also, roads need to be widened wherever possible to accommodate more cars.
4. Can developing public transport solve traffic problems in cities?
I think public transport can solve transportation problems but only if it is fast and comfortable. Local trains have been running in Delhi for a long time and people did not like them because they were slow. However, the construction of the Delhi Metro, which is quite fast and comfortable, has become a real hindrance to traffic.