Comparatively high per capita income, low prices, cheap fuel, attractive loan facilities, excellent highways, and an inadequate public transportation system have all contributed to the surge in private car ownership in the country over the years.

Despite the recent hefty fuel price increase, many people will have no choice but to continue to drive their cars to attend to their needs, as public transport is not an option for them.

While countries such as Singapore and Japan have efficient systems, Malaysia has much work to do before the public transport system can become a viable and attractive alternative to personal transport.

Given that we haven’t seen the last of the fuel price increases, the government should take urgent steps to complete the double rail-tracking system ahead of time in order to help mitigate travel

costs.

The KTM Komuter service between Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh should be started immediately by leasing rolling stock instead of waiting for new equipment to arrive in 2010.

A feasibility study for a ferry service linking coastal towns between Johor Baru and Kuala Perlis should be examined as competition between bus, train and ferry services could help keep transport costs at reasonable levels.

To reduce dependence on fossil fuels, the government should allow for the duty-free import of electric and hybrid vehicles and provide grants to convert cars to run on natural gas.

Since Malaysia receives plenty of sunshine, solar energy should be harnessed in a big way to defray electricity costs of buildings and households.

Highway operators should make a one-time investment to install solar arrays in the open spaces along highways to produce some of their electricity requirements and so reduce costs.

Over time the savings made on electricity could be used to reduce, or at the very least, maintain current toll charges.

New buildings and houses should incorporate designs, so that their interiors receive more natural light and the roofs can be fitted with a large number of solar panels to reduce electricity costs.

The fuel price and the impending hike in electricity tariff will also see a drop in the purchasing power for the average person. People will have to really think hard for ways to reduce their monthly expenditure.

One way is to go into rainwater harvesting and another is to heat water using sunlight instead of cooking gas or electricity. There is a lot of information on building simple rainwater harvesting systems and solar water heaters on the Internet.