Wednesday, 24 June 2009

Tuk-tuk ban damages Phnom Penh's charm

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

Written by Daniel Doyle
Tuesday, 23 June 2009

Dear Editor,

As a regular visitor to Cambodia, I was shocked to read about the ban on tuk-tuks using Sisowath. While regular offers of tuk-tuks can be mildly annoying, they are an integral part of what makes Phnom Penh special. Their instant availability outside one's hotel makes getting around in Phnom Penh easy and enjoyable.

On a practical level, what am I supposed to do in future when I want to get from my hotel at one end of Sisowath to the bus depot at the other end for my trip to Siem Reap or Battambang? Carry a heavy suitcase for a kilometre?

More importantly, what more lucrative area is there in Phnom Penh for the tuk-tuk drivers to make a living? Why are these guys who are attempting to make an honest living banished from the busiest tourist area? Why not target the RCAF-registered luxury vehicles that still illegally park on the footpath or wherever they like along Sisowath?

Daniel Doyle
Visitor of Phnom Penh

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