Sick & Tired of Jams in KL

I hate jams. I know everyone does, but I think I'm especially hateful of jams, particularly those in KL. That's because they ruin my ability to cruise at high speeds.

As a result, I find myself leaving my home early to work and going home late most of the time, just so I'd be able to avoid jams.

Unfortunately, these days, leaving home early and going home late doesn't quite cut it. It would seem that many people have wised up to the benefits of doing what I'm doing and causing the roads to be, well, congested early in the mornings and late in the evenings too!

So, really, a solution must be found so that our lives don't involve spending close to 5 hrs on commuting to work from home and back, five days a week, every week.

What might it be? Believe it or not, it involves increasing fuel prices. That's right. The best way to get rid of productivity reducing road congestion is to increase fuel prices.

You see, when former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi increased fuel prices drastically, the number of cars plying the roads fell drastically as well. This made commuting more efficient.

More than that, more people began using public transport. Yes, Malaysia's public transport system is generally in a sorry state. But with more people using public transport, the revenue generated by companies that run public transport would rise, allowing them to provide better buses, trains and cabs, as well as services.

So, while I know that my income would take a hit as a result of fuel price hikes, I'm actually looking forward to the day when Malaysia's roads are less congested and public transport is better and more efficient. While I may be one of those who would be forced to take public transport most of the time, I would have the option to take the car and cruise at high speeds when I need to.