People travel past a garment factory in Phnom Penh’s Por Sen Chey district in 2020. Heng Chivoan
The Phnom Penh Municipal Hall has been holding discussions with the Cambodia Trucking Association (CAMTA) and major businesses to find an efficient way of relocating factories and warehouses to the outskirts of Phnom Penh.
The number of trucks entering the city has a detrimental effect on the city’s traffic flow, the municipality said.
Phnom Penh governor Khuong Sreng said the municipal hall had begun the meetings ahead of further infrastructure development in the capital.
“In the future, when construction of the third ring road is complete and it’s put into use, many factories, enterprises and warehouses will be relocated to the suburbs, which will mean a large reduction in the number of heavy vehicles entering Phnom Penh,” he said while attending the review of 2021’s road safety work on February 9.
“We are continuing to increase our use of technology to manage traffic, instead of using the police force to direct the flow of traffic.”
In addition, the municipality had also increased its monitoring of traffic laws, including vehicle inspections and drug and alcohol testing for drivers. It had also encouraged tuk-tuk drivers and other informal economic groups to study traffic laws and take driving tests. It continued to conduct free training courses, he said.
Cambodia Chamber of Commerce (CCC) vice-president Lim Heng supported the measures, saying it will reduce congestion as well as the environmental impact the heavy vehicles have.
“This is a good thing. The capital has a lot of factories, which has led to goods transport trucks coming in and out of the city causing traffic jams, environmental problems and road accidents. If we can get them to construct new factories in the suburbs, it would improve things for everyone,” he said.
The CCC, he said, also encourages factory investment in various provinces to reduce poverty and economic migration.
“If we have factories in different provinces, we are making an investment in the people there. In addition to reducing travel time, the workers can raise animals and take care of their family members. It gives them more opportunities for a higher quality of life,” he said.
