Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered an unprecedented three-passenger minimum on all cars entering Manhattan in an effort to relieve the over-clogged arteries of the island.

With trains and subways still out of action the city’s roads have been struggling to cope with a huge increase in traffic.

‘I know it is inconvenient for a lot of people,’ Bloomberg said, ‘But the bottom line is the streets can only handle so much.’

Speaking at a news conference this afternoon, Bloomberg spelled out the specifics of the three-passenger minimum, which goes into effect at 6pm tonight.