A new urban planning initiative proposes to reduce traffic congestion by implementing a congestion charge during peak hours for all vehicles entering the city center. Proponents argue that this will significantly reduce the number of private cars, encouraging greater use of public transport and cycling, thereby easing congestion and improving air quality. However, for this initiative to genuinely alleviate congestion rather than just redistribute it, it must be true that...
Correct: D
The initiative aims to alleviate congestion, not just move it. If drivers simply avoid the charge by parking outside the zone and then walking or taking shorter public transport trips, or if they drive through adjacent, non-charged areas, the overall problem of congestion isn't solved, just shifted. Therefore, for the initiative to 'genuinely alleviate congestion rather than just redistribute it,' it must assume that neighboring areas won't suffer a compensatory increase in traffic. Choices A, B, C, and E are all important for the *effectiveness* of the charge in reducing traffic within the zone or encouraging public transport, but they don't directly address the 'redistribution' aspect of the congestion *problem* itself as critically as D does for *overall* alleviation.