Given below is a statement followed by four possible reasons numbered I and IV. Which of the four can explain the statement:
A major metropolitan city witnessed a significant drop in the number of people using public transport, despite the expansion of bus routes and services.
(I) The bus fares remained unchanged despite reduction in fuel prices
(II) The GST on two-wheelers and four-wheelers was reduced by the government.
(III) Entry of private vehicles into central business hubs was banned during rush hours.
(IV) Number of accidents involving public transport vehicles increased.
Given below is a statement followed by four possible reasons numbered I and IV. Which of the four can explain the statement:
A major metropolitan city witnessed a significant drop in the number of people using public transport, despite the expansion of bus routes and services.
(I) The bus fares remained unchanged despite reduction in fuel prices
(II) The GST on two-wheelers and four-wheelers was reduced by the government.
(III) Entry of private vehicles into central business hubs was banned during rush hours.
(IV) Number of accidents involving public transport vehicles increased.
Solution
The statement tells us that fewer people are using public transport even though bus routes and services expanded. We need to find which reasons explain this drop.
Let's check each reason to see if it explains why people stopped using public transport:
| Reason | Does it explain the drop? | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| (I) Bus fares stayed the same despite fuel prices going down | ✓ Yes | When fuel becomes cheaper, running personal vehicles costs less. If bus fares don't reduce accordingly, buses become relatively more expensive compared to personal transport. People would prefer the cheaper option. |
| (II) GST on vehicles was reduced | ✓ Yes | Lower taxes make buying two-wheelers and cars cheaper. More people can now afford personal vehicles, so they stop using public transport. |
| (III) Private vehicles banned in business hubs during rush hours | ✗ No | This makes using personal vehicles difficult. If people can't drive to work, they would actually use more public transport, not less. This goes against the statement. |
| (IV) More accidents involving public transport | ✓ Yes | People feel unsafe in buses. They would switch to personal vehicles or other options they consider safer. |
Reasons (I), (II), and (IV) all make public transport less attractive or personal vehicles more attractive, explaining the drop.
Reason (III) does the opposite - it would increase public transport usage.
Answer: Option 2