IN view of the non-availability of funds for the monorail and outer ring road projects in Penang, the state government should now think of innovative ways of addressing the growing traffic congestion in George Town.

Aside from improving the public transport system, the government may want to consider, owing to the state's land constraints, restricting the number of vehicles on the road during peak hours. One way of doing this would be to forbid vehicles with registration numbers ending in odd numbers from using the roads on certain days of the week and likewise for those vehicles with even numbers.

Another way would be to introduce a road-pricing scheme, as practised in London and Singapore. Fewer vehicles on the road translates into faster traffic flow. The higher speed not only shortens travelling time from one point to another but also leads to fuel savings that, in turn, means less emissions.

These are extraordinary times and extraordinary efforts are required. Given the current situation, the Penang government has limited options to improve the transport system in the city. It has to now take measures that will no doubt cause a bit of hardship and inconvenience to vehicle owners in the short-term.