Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday appealed to taxi drivers around the Kingdom not to raise prices during the national Pchum Ben festival, during which people often visit family in the provinces to pay respects to deceased relatives.

The premier, in a Facebook post, also asked drivers and boat operators to avoid overloading their vehicles and travelling in bad weather.

Sar Kheng, the interior minister, said in a television interview that his ministry has already arranged security measures for Pchum Ben festivals around the country.

He echoed the premier’s request to keep prices down but admitted that this is hard to enforce due to Cambodia’s free-market economy.

“We think that [transportation operators] can do this if they understand, but if they do not understand, we do not have any laws to punish them.”

Many bus companies and taxi drivers raise prices during the holiday, which is now in its fourth day. Sok Bona, who drives a taxi between Phnom Penh and Svay Rieng, said that he is forced to jack up prices against his will because parking lot operators also raise their prices.