CARACAS: Eat a snack, read a book, do a crossword, listen to music and try not to punch or shoot anyone. That is the advice psychiatrists are giving to commuters in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, in the wake of traffic jams that are among the world's worst.

An explosion in car ownership has clogged motorways and side-streets from early morning until late at night, paralysing entire districts and driving motorists to distraction. Doctors say the stress is inflicting physical and mental damage on drivers and leading to increased incidents of road rage, including shoot-outs.

Those who try to beat the traffic by leaving home at 5am have been warned that they are likely to suffer sleep deprivation, which will diminish productivity, increase irritability and harm sex lives.

A sense of anxiety, anguish and tension is spreading, Robert Lespinasse, the former head of the Venezuelan Society of Psychiatry, told the daily Ultimas Noticias. A psychologist, Hernan D'Oliveira, said that the disruption in mental processes was making people less open to criticism. Armed motorcycle gangs who ambush stationary motorists in broad daylight do not help.

In the absence of an urban planning miracle, people have been advised that when traffic grinds to a halt they should have a drink or something to eat and occupy their minds with music, a book, newspaper or crossword.

An oil-fuelled economic boom has boosted vehicle ownership in Venezuela, with sales in the last year alone doubling to 300,000. In the absence of new roads, the swollen traffic streams into a creaking, potholed infrastructure which has been neglected for years.

Caracas, tucked into a long narrow alley between skyscrapers and shantytowns and baked beneath a tropical sun, can appear to be the site of a battle against geography and climate.

The government, flush with oil revenues, has inaugurated bridges and metro lines in the run-up to next month's presidential election, but many are unfinished, including a bridge connecting Caracas to the airport, which is forcing detours through hillside barrios that can turn the 16-mile trip into a five-hour odyssey.

Everyone agrees that gridlock is getting worse every month. Taxi drivers say their income has been slashed because they are down from an average of five to three fares a day.

"It's impossible. If someone asks to go into especially heavy traffic I say no, it'll take up half my day," said Fredy Afanador, a veteran cabbie.

President Hugo Chávez has berated previous infrastructure ministers but praised the incumbent for doing a good job.—Dawn/The Guardian News Service