LETTER | From the ancient Greek myth of Sisyphus, who defied the gods and was punished to endlessly roll a huge boulder up a steep hill; only for him to reach the top and watch it roll down again, having him to start all over again. Which condemned Sisyphus to an eternity of useless tasks with a never-ending frustration.

If we look from within during our idle time in traffic, there resemble some parts of the daily struggles of Sisyphus. Our country has widely interconnected roads and highways that are marvelled in the region yet is plagued by traffic gridlocks with an overworked population.

People might just see it as long hours on the road, but, in fact, it is a loss of precious productivity moments that can be better spent tackling problems and fostering innovation. Beyond that, those wasted hours take a toll on the nation's wellbeing. Those can be channelled to activities to keep oneself healthy with an evening jog or better quality rest. Naturally, there will be lesser sick days, freeing up more hours towards enriching lives.

Everyone deserves the right to mobility but by giving everyone a car is no way to achieve mass movability. It will incur a higher cost for both the people and the economy. To quote Gustavo Petro, former mayor of Columbia. “A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars. It's where the rich use public transportation.”

If a new influx of cars continues to pour in, filling up that bottomless pit of new highways and the continued cutbacks to yet another public transportation proposal, it will only reflect how Sisyphus constantly pushes that boulder, just see it roll down again from the top.

Fundamentally, how a nation moves is determined by the government policies that are set in place. There is no better way to start than petrol subsidies. It might not be popular to introduce an additional consumption tax as it appears to be raising the cost of living for your constituents. But, really it is just simple economics - expensive petrol equals to people driving less.

On the contrary, it is in the best interest of the voters to drive less. It saves them money that is needed for car maintenance, car insurance and car mortgages that will only contribute to their income insecurities. Rather than being tied down to the idea of needing a personal chariot, that money can be saved to improve one's livelihood and boost purchasing power. A

ll can be accomplished when people have decided to let go of the notion that cars are the way of life and start transitioning to having a more efficient way of transport for all.

By keeping the price of petrol cheap and affordable, it will only incentivise people to continue with their driving habits. Above all, the government is obligated to enter into a long-term commitment to ensure road conditions are safe for driving. Even imposing a higher road tax will not offset that monstrous cost for labour and resources that will only be worn down by its heavy usage.

Ultimately, fuel subsidies are not sustainable. Not because of any bad actors or poor governance but because transit by car is always going to be the least efficient way to move people around. No matter how great the road infrastructure is or how wide the boulevard roads can be, it can never compete with the absorbent amount of footprint a car occupies in comparison with a bus fully loaded with people.

If we really wanted to change, we must start with our perception of a shared commute. When people talk about trains and buses, people would refer to it as a form of public transportation. Past experiences that were unpleasant and unpredictable schedules have moulded people's impression of the appalling state public transportation is.

However, by reintroducing the idea of transportation to the nation, we can breathe in new life with a rebranding that can be both descriptive and empowering as a mass transit for all people. Trains and buses still will be the most efficient way for people to commute from one place to another that we can share and empathise as a society.

We can choose to have qualified conductors and bus drivers that can ensure people arriving safely and hassle-free to their destinations.

Likewise, the amount of exercise by walking from station to station and house to house will reap more health benefits for the people. Additionally, it will reduce government spending on preventable diseases because the public is in a better state of health compared to sitting idly all day long.

A nation of cars exhibits more time spent in traffic and less quality time spent on other economic, fitness or leisure activities. As a rich nation, it should not be when the poor can afford cars but when the rich can ride public transportation alongside the poor.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.