Plans for a light railway system in Phnom Penh were discussed at a meeting between Public Works and Transportation Minister Sun Chanthol and Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) regional director-general Yasushi Tanaka on Friday.

Chanthol confirmed the meeting yesterday but declined to comment further until plans were firmed up. “We don’t know . . . how much is to be spent and where the line will start,” he said.

Road Safety Institute president Ear Chariya said yesterday that he welcomed the construction of light rail as a way to combat congestion, which he noted is estimated to cost $6 million a month, and encouraged the government to make haste with the project.

“So far, they seem to be very slow,” Chariya said, pointing out that the railway was in a transport master plan submitted to the Council of Ministers in 2014.