When it comes to imaginative use of cargo containers, few places can rival Hong Kong. From temporary workplaces at construction sites to classrooms in schools, the giant metal box has proved to be a handy solution for a city that is so short of space. Recently, containers have become a novelty in the political arena. Squeezed out by soaring rents and limited office space, some district councillors have started to think out of the box - how about meeting the public inside a container?

So far only two politicians are known to have switched to roadside offices - one converted from a container and the other a portable storage unit made of metal and glass fibre. They ditched conventional offices after repeatedly failing to find places that matched the limited budget provided by the government. But turning the idea into reality was just as challenging; it involved lengthy negotiations with various departments and public utilities. Their stories are testimony to the resilience and creativity of our politicians.

The "container councillors" phenomenon is of course an exception rather than the norm. But the two cases speak volumes about the sorry situation of the city's runaway property market. Those representing private residential areas often have to shoulder high office rents in shopping malls. Even if the government's proposal to raise councillors' annual operating allowance by one-third to HK$408,000 is approved, as expected, some complain that they will still have to dig into their own pockets. Rent aside, political considerations are another obstacle. It is not uncommon to see shopping malls reject tenants with political backgrounds, citing "commercial considerations" as the reason.