Sisowath Quay

Morning View

Busy Night Traffic

A man sits on his cyclo during a busy traffic

The Warden

The policeman waves his hand signaling the vehicles on the other side to come along

View of Night Traffic along Mekong River Phnom Penh

A beautiful view of the Mekong River at night along the road

Sisowat Quay

Night View

Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Expensive Car but so Cheap is the Driver (Cambodian Expression)

In English, "cheap" literally means something which could be affordable at a low cost. Normally, this adjective is not used to refer a person. However, in Cambodian's expression, when someone is referred as Cheap, it means that someone worth nothing in his/her characteristics. People wouldn't value such person.

Recently, someone has made him or herself quite well-known in Cambodia's social media as he/she was trying to drive in a reverse traffic direction escaping from junction in a busy evening.


 A CHEAP driver in an expensive Lexus 570 driving in a reverse direction

A man seeing this person in his/her luxurious car could not help letting this go so he picked up a camera and to a few shots then post them onto his Facebook profile criticizing this act. (We would like to credit these photo to him while we prefer to keep his name hidden.)

"It is not a strange thing that people with luxurious expensive car never learn to obey the traffic law," said a social media user, commenting on the post. Normally, at least most of the time, people with power and modern car treat themselves higher, not respecting any other road users. However, others would see this from the exact opposite corner of thoughts. The higher they raise, the lower people would rate them, just like someone in this photo.

On the contrary thoughts, not only rich and powerful people are traffic violators. Even from these images, we could see that there are a few bikers follows the car joining those being called CHEAP on the road. There are also those rich and powerful people who obey the law and respect their fellow road users. So being rich or powerful does not define how someone obey the traffic law. It solely lies on each individual's sense of responsibility and accountability.

To build this up, education should be sharpened while at the same time the government should play a vital role to ensure that such thing is reduced to a minimal stage. Severe fine and punishment should be enacted to traffic violators regardless of how rich and powerful they are.

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Someting you can only see in Cambodia

In traffic, if someone asks you to name out the most bizarre country in traffic condition, what would you recommend?

Well, people have their own perspective of how they view something which is either good or bad. Some image below are not bad things but some common condition you can only find in Cambodia. It may be funny, crazy, horrible, or anything up to the viewer's perspective and I, as a writer of this post, would not recommend anything but just to take it as a fun.

1. The MO-TEL (Motor + Hotel)


Despite a very busy traffic condition and how hard it goes, this motor taxi driver (Motor Dup) find it a peaceful day on his bike which he used as his perfect bed for a nap a long the street. What else could be better for him? It's both comfortable and a no-cost MO-TEL for him. You can find this only in Cambodia.

2. Mind the CowBoys

You may find the cowboys in Texas. Well, that's what I have heard as I have never been there. But here in Cambodia, I witness it with my own eyes. The cowboys here would literally means the Cow and the Boys who would come together with their big herds of cow joining the main road.






What would you do in such condition where you will have to face them on the road you are traveling. Of course, just let them be and be patient, they will be gone in minutes. If you are in such a hurry stage, you can try sneaking in among the heard and probably get some welcoming Moos from the cow.

3. The Real 3D Road

Some really good artist would make some of the roads into beautiful 3D images where people could come and enjoy how it feels like. Images may vary according to the artist's imagination such as waterfall, hell, beautiful scenes, etc. There's no need for such things in Cambodia as they have made a read 3D environment right on the road.





Look at the above image of a comparison between an artist's 3D road and a real 3D road of Cambodia and tell which one is better. Frankly, some people would rate it more than just a mere simple 3D as that one exceed every condition it has to be a 3D. Kids and youth today would call it a 4D or 5D as it includes both real-time dimensional experience and how it truly feels to be in such thing.


4. Mind the Crocodile

A crocodile in road traffic? What a bizarre thing!
Well, here is how people take it. So big they have holes and bumps along the road, people leave a sing for it. However, they do more than just telling there are big holes.


The sign reads, "Be ware of Crocodiles!" You can find this only in Cambodia.

5. The Marine

Which country has the best marine ever? Russia, The United States, or else?
Well, I wouldn't call it the best one if I hadn't seen this in Cambodia. Even though not locally made, this vehicle overtakes all others that were used in the high-edge countries and developed words.

The description in this image tells the comparison between cars in other country which is completely helpless to that one in Cambodia while it is able to turn itself into a marine and survive the rain.

Let me know if you see that above image and couldn't get to understand what I mean.

More to come and stay tuned! Only in Cambodia!


Cambodia lost 337 Million USD in 2013 alone for the traffic accident

Reports from the Ministry of Public Affairs and Transportation said that in 2013 alone, Cambodia suffer from a net lost of more than 300 million US dollars from its in-country traffic accident.

"There is no day that Cambodia do not have a traffic accident and it would be the oddest thing that it has none", said a road traveler giving his concern over the daily rate of traffic accidents. Truly here in Cambodia, at least 20 cases per day of traffic accident happens and at least 2 person die each day to traffic accident. There has been strategies to strengthen the law enforcement, vehicle condition control, alcohol control, improvement of traffic infrastructure, etc. yet the trouble does not seem to be going down. From another dimension, it seems like the government is doing on the wrong side to prevent traffic accidents.

Photos of traffic accidents during the year
Credit: The Phnom Penh Post





Each year we just see the government people would say they commit to reduce traffic accident to a minimal stage, but it never happens at all.

Saturday, June 21, 2014

A driver luckily escapsed while his truck went on fire

Note: This video was uploaded on to Youtube by early 2013, so the case probably took place about more than one year ago.

The main reason it is brought up again is that it can be used as a lesson to all drivers so they are always cautious when they drive. Vehicle condition is also an utmost important thing to check before one steps up into his/her car.

The accident took place quite quickly starting from a crash along the main road and the truck suddenly  burst into rapid fire.


With just a flick between life and death, the truck driver tragically made an escape and ran his way from within the truck crossing the road to the nearby viewers who then made their best effort at saving his life.
Buckets of water have been poured on the poor man who got almost a hundred percent of his body burned.
He was then referred to the near by hospital.


Let's hope this tragic won't happen again.
Road traffic is everyone's responsibility.

Kampot, First 6 months reports of Road Traffic Accidents


Source: Koh Santephep

According to the statistics from the responsible government department in Kampot province, a total number of road accident happens 121 times across the province.


  • Death: 39 (9 females)
  • Seriously injured: 168 (48 females)
  • Injured: 68 (15 females)
Most of the cases, the accidents were caused by human factor as people continue to drive while they are drunk and there are those who went exceed the speed limits.

Monday, March 17, 2014

March 16: 5 Killed and 14 Injured


Source: Koh Santepheap

According to a report from the Ministry of Interior of Cambodia, on 16th March 2014 alone, there were 8 traffic cases happening across the country causing 5 death and 14 injuries, 13 of which were serious cases.

The accidents involve the following vehicles:
- Motors: 8
- Cars: 4
- Truck: 1

Most of the time, the traffic accidents were caused by over speeding. An interesting fact to this was that 8 people on their motorbike were severely injured when they did not have their helmet on.


Saturday, March 15, 2014

Irresponsible Driver Escaped from Poilce


Siem Reap:

An unknown driver (said to be a Korean) was stopped by the police officers against the charge of hit-an-run, yet he made another escape from the police.




What a man!
One should be responsible for what they did.

Friday, March 14, 2014

February 2014, 228 Died and 881 Injured

Source: Koh Santepheap

Within one month of February 2014, the number of people killed in traffic accident has reached 228 which is a 20 percent increase compared to that in January. The number of people injured hit 881 (33% increased).
Here are some data and info-graphic related to the cases happened in February 2014.

Number of people died: 228
- Cambodian: 224
- Foreigners: 4

Number of people injured: 881
- Cambodian: 849
- Foreigners: 32
- Seriously injured: 487 (11 Foreigners)
- Wounded: 394 (21 Foreigners)



Causes of Accidents
- Over-Speeding: 44%
- Drunk: 17%
- Overtaking: 11%
- Priority disobedience: 11%
- Driving on the left: 6%
- Careless turn: 5%
- Others: 4%

Trends:
The traffic accident tends to be tragically worse if we compare the statistic between that of January and the February's.


Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Showtime along the road to Koh Pich


This short video clip from YouTube tells how two Cambodian teenagers (1 boy and 1 girl) were riding on their bike going one wheel. This is not an uncommon thing here in Cambodia, as people are used to seeing this thing along big roads in town. However, the only thing weird and awkward about this is the involvement of a young girl. Most of the time, people see male teenagers do this with their male friends, but this time it's a girl.


Source: YouTube, Sabay

Feel free to leave a comment and/or suggestion.

Saturday, March 8, 2014

6 killed and 11 injured on the Internation Womenday, Cambodia

Source: Koh Santepheap

The death toll from traffic accident within the International Women's Day in Cambodia has reached a total of 6 people while there were up to 11 injuries, ten of which were severe cases.

Report from the police revealed that there were 11 cases of accident happening across the country. The majority of the accidents take place in Phnom Penh. There were up to 8 motors, 2 cars, and 2 big trucks damaged.
Types of vehicle involved in the accidents

The following are the reasons that led the the accidents and the number of cases:
  • Over-speed: 4 Times
  • Driving on the left: 1 time
  • Crossing the road: 1 time
  • Vehicle condition: 1 time
  • Overtaking: 2 times
13 people did not wear a helmet while driving, mostly after dark.