Phnom Penh’s municipal governor yesterday called on citizens to start obeying traffic laws and using the city’s fledgling public-transportation system as he addressed widespread discontent with traffic issues.

Speaking to students at the Royal School of Administration, Pa Socheatvong acknowledged the growing economic impact of the chronic rush-hour congestion occurring each morning and evening.

“There really are a lot of traffic jams in the city now . . . [costing an] estimated $70 million per year in petrol and time to travel in the city . . . not including traffic accidents or property damage,” he said.

The governor pointed to more vehicles, the burgeoning population, people not obeying traffic laws, road rage and needed repairs to city streets as contributors to the problem.

“All people in the city must start to obey traffic laws, [and] try to use the public transportation,” he said, adding that more “sky bridges” and expressways are planned to ease traffic flow.