Voice 1

Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Sapna.

Voice 2

And I'm Ravi Singh. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

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The sounds of traffic! You can hear it in any city. Cars, buses and trucks fight for space. Everyone wants to hurry – children need to get to school, people need to get to work, or to do the shopping. More and more people are driving their own cars. But the high number of vehicles causes problems – delays, long lines, and even fights! In busy cities everywhere, governments ask, "How can we solve the traffic problem?" Today's Spotlight is on the cities of India and London, and their answers to this question.

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First, we travel to London, England. London is one of the world's major cities. It is a center of government and business. People come to London from many countries – it is one of the most visited cities in the world. More than 12 million people live in the greater London area. That is a lot of people to move around the city!

There has been a settlement in London for more than two thousand years. Although it is a modern city, it still shows signs of this long history. Parts of central London date back hundreds of years. Many streets are narrow, and they were not designed for cars. But many major business and government buildings are in this area – as well as many historic places and museums. Many people need to travel through this area every day. This was causing a lot of traffic problems.

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In 2003 the authorities in London introduced a new idea – a congestion charge. The