Crossing Cambodia

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Dreaming ...

With the absence of any form of regulated public transport in Phnom Penh, one would expect that when a private company announces it's silly enough to invest half a billion dollars in a complete new system of public transport, it would be welcomed with open arms. However, in Cambodia not all is as it seems. The reader need only look at the previous posting. Metered taxi's? Great idea, but please overcharge your customers, otherwise our system of inflating basic daily needs will break down.


A Thai company wants to replicate it's Skytrain business of Bangkok in Phnom Penh. Clean, efficient, a bit pricey (that's a plus point for Cambodian authorities) and easy. Hard not to want a Skytrain. Especially as widening Monivong Boulevard any more looks limited. But a deputy governor (of what?) argues that the plan is too ahead of time! He's quite right there, buses and trams as city transport still have yet to arrive here. Horse drawn carriages? Tin cans of sardines on wheels? Bicycle - dops?

Well, he's entitled to an opinion, however he must realize that in combatting congestion what may seem too soon, can be too late and what may seem as inappropriate may just what the doctor describes! Here's a link to expanding rickshaw services in New York! Or as the blog say they are too successful, so the authorities are going to restrict there numbers...
Related Posts with Thumbnails