It is very good that bus routes will be expanded and bus frequency increased, as one of the ways to entice car drivers to reduce car usage some of the time.

Other than the measures already announced by the Government, I would like to propose that the Government study and implement a major improvement to the 'park and ride' scheme.

If our 'park and ride' scheme gets an overhaul to make it highly convenient for drivers not to use their cars and opt to use the MRT during peak hours, it will greatly alleviate the clogged arteries of our central areas during rush hours.

One just needs to look at major cities such as London (where I have lived) and New York to understand that the train is the most effective and preferred mode of transport, much more than buses.

If we can build large multi-storey carparks in high-density towns next to the MRT stations, where drivers can park their cars safely and hop on to the train easily to work/shopping/run various errands, I am sure it will greatly reduce the number of cars in central areas.

To make sure this works, the Government has to ensure that parking fees at the 'park and ride' site are not punitive and the walk from the car park to the MRT station is short and sheltered (preferably air-conditioned).

This information should also be well publicised through mailers and information on the LTA website. Doing this right will maximise the impact of car reduction usage during peak hours.

I truly believe we can make it very convenient for drivers to opt not to drive.

It is very common for Londoners and New Yorkers not to drive to work. Many of them take the train and if they live far from the city, they opt to park their cars next to the train station and ride the train to work. It is no fun riding a bus or even a taxi in London. It is not easy on the temper nor the wallet if one is travelling in a cab. It feels like tens of pounds is spent just to pay the taxi driver to read his newspaper while waiting in traffic jams.

Similarly, car drivers in Singapore are increasingly feeling the pinch when paying ERP charges, high petrol prices, exorbitant car parking fees and I am sure they would welcome a viable alternative.

While having premium buses and allocated bus lanes go some way to address that, it is still using the very same roads that are already heavily congested. Having even more buses is like jamming another high-calorie steak down the throat of a patient suffering from clogged arteries.

I would very much welcome using our efficient MRT system as an effective alternative, which does not use those very same roads that are causing drivers and the Government so much pain and angst.

I would urge the Government to think out of the box and identify several large satellite towns to build car parks right next to the MRT stations and make it very convenient for car drivers not to drive during peak hours.

In a country like Canada, for example, they have built complete underground cities in places like Toronto. Canadians do not have to surface and suffer the elements during the harsh winters and the preferred mode of mass transport is the train. There are plenty of precedents in rich countries where there are innovative ways to encourage drivers not to use their cars during peak hours.

We already have the highest cost of car ownership and rising cost of car usage in Singapore. If the traffic gridlock is reduced, there will be less need for ERP gantries, which many suspect do not help to reduce traffic but only serve to increase the cost of car usage.

I hope the Government will allow car drivers the pleasure of enjoying their four-wheeler with as many alternatives as possible. It will be a dream to have convenient, comfortable and effective alternative transport during peak hours and, at the same time, ease the traffic gridlock to bring back the pleasure of owning and driving a car, even if it's only during non-peak hours.

Wai Fung Cranfield (Mrs)