Question

A provincial government plans to raise the gasoline tax to give people an incentive to drive less, reducing traffic congestion in the long term. However, skeptics point out that most people in the province live in areas where cars are the viable transportation to jobs and stores, and therefore cannot greatly change their driving habits in response to higher gasoline prices.
In light of the skeptic’s objection, which of the following if true would most logically support the prediction that the government’s plan will achieve its goal of reducing traffic congestion?
A) The revenue from the tax will be used to make public transportation a viable means of transportation to jobs and stores for far more people.
B) The tax will encourage many residents to switch to more fuel efficient cars reducing pollution and other problems.
C) Because gasoline has been underpriced for decades the province has many neighborhoods where cars are the only viable means of transportation.
D) Most residents who cannot greatly change their driving habits could compensate for high gasoline prices by reducing other expenses.
E) Traffic congestion is an especially serious problem for people for whom cars are the only viable means of transport.

Answer 1

Hint:
-The passage hints at the increase in gasoline taxes being a problem.
-The passage also addresses a problem in public transportation.

Complete answer:
In the given passage, the critics are trying to highlight the problems associated with ‘an increase in the gasoline taxes to reduce the number of cars on the roads and hence the traffic congestion’. They point out that driving their car is the only means of transport for many people. This means that those people will be significantly affected by the tax raises on gasoline.

Option A, talks about using the extra taxes that will be collected by the government to create accessibility via public transport to far-off places. This would allow those people to drive less and hence reduce traffic congestion. This option works for the people, environment and the government.

Option B, talks about switching to more efficient fuels to reduce air pollution. This option only talks about the environment and neglects the main concern i.e. traffic congestion. Thus, it is incorrect.

Option C, only states the fact that driving personal cars is the only viable means of transport and hence the fuel is underpriced. It does not provide any solution or government plans. Thus, it is incorrect.
Option D, points the fact that people who cannot stop driving will manage their expenses through other items. This will still be a problem to the traffic congestion and is not a solution.

Option E, is also a straightforward statement saying that traffic congestion is a problem for every person who drives a car. It again does not provide a plan or a solution. Thus it is incorrect.

Thus, the correct answer is Option (A) The revenue from the tax will be used to make public transportation a viable means of transportation to jobs and stores for far more people.

Note:
-These types of questions often have more than one option that seem correct.
-The statements in the options are correct statements, but they are not the statements that we require.
-Hence, we need to analyze and come up with an option that is the closest to being correct.