A WEEK after the fuel hike, many motorists say there are fewer cars on the road.

Many, like accounts executive Cherrie Kwan, have switched to taking public transport to work.

The newly-married Kwan, 27, is also planning to sell her Perodua Kelisa to have more cash in hand.

"My husband sends me to the LRT station and picks me up after work. I just wish there are more LRT routes.

"Even in KL, we're not well connected and getting from one place to another is such a hassle."
Kwan is also cutting down on entertainment like going out for movies, choosing instead to download free movies from the Internet.

"No point going out these days - paying toll is one, then the expensive petrol, the parking fees, maybe a can of soda. An outing for two costs about RM40."

Like Kwan, many people are clearly unhappy with the rising cost of living, but most have resigned to it and are trying to cope.

Some are going slower on the road to conserve fuel.

"I keep a steady watch on my RPM meter now and I try to keep it slow and steady. I also avoid going to town on weekends, when traffic jams are at its worst," says Jacquelin Sabingin, 27, a sales executive in Kota Kinabalu.

Sabah engineer John Saw, 34, says he and his friends are car pool more often these days, do a lot of price research before buying anything and have "pot luck" parties instead of dining out.

Chong Oon Hock, 46, has started using the motorcycle more often.

"I use the motorcycle when I go to work and to run errands," says Chong from Penang. His family has two motorcycles and a car.

But one thing the father of three has no intention on cutting down is the RM400 monthly tuition for his children because "their education is just too important".

Freelance photographer Ho Mun Keat, 28, has also chosen to ride his bike, braving the sweltering Kuala Lumpur heat than rely too much on his car.

"Unless I'm driving my parents, I won't take the car."

While city dwellers tighten their purse strings, it's the lower income group that feels the pinch the most.

For almost three years now, odd job labourer Awang Zali Embong has been saving, on and off, RM50 a month to buy a newer motorcycle.

But judging from the current economic situation, the 54- year-old father of three, who earns on average RM750 a month, says he would have to rely on his 22-year-old Yamaha Cdi for a while longer.

"I've been trying not to dip into my savings but with a fulltime housewife and three schoolgoing children, I'm fighting a losing battle," says Awang, who works at a construction site in Kuala Terengganu.

To make ends meet, tuition teacher Siow Shu Wen, 27, got herself a part-time job with her cousin as a dog groomer.

"I don't want to raise my tuition fees because I know many parents are struggling," says Sow.

"To keep costs low, I reschedule my classes to ensure all my classes are along the way."

Housewife Cheong Lin Lin, whose husband earns about RM2,800 as a tile-layer, has started asking around if anyone needs her services as a baby-sitter.

"My boys are big now, aged 10 and 11. I think I can handle another toddler for maybe RM450 a month. We don't have much left for savings, and everything's getting so expensive."