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- Chinese New Year? Less accidents. Why? Khmernews knows the answer:
'According to Cambodia Daily reported that “during the Chinese new year accidents in 2008 is dropped down because of some people understanding and obeying the traffic law"'.
Some people were out of town Crossing Cambodia thinks; nobody obey's the traffic law nor is nobody interested in understanding the intracacities of Cambodia's traffic law and the failure to implement / enforce it! Literally the Cambodian Daily report mentions: 'a drop-off that they [police in Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville and Siem Reap] attributed to greater respect for traffic laws'.
- What accidents are we talking about?
Dusty Path Caused an Accident
Monday, February 11, 2008
On the 9th February the badly traffic accident cost the life of a motor’s driver, YOU OWN who has 46 years old.
This accident was happened by a car drove opposition him and made the road dusty like a foggy, and he could not see the road so he drove his motor crash a palm tree.
The location police at Borsat said that this dusty path make the driver could not see anything in front of him, but if the people drive carefully and slowly they will avoid this accident.
AndGet injured because of shouting “why ride so fast”
Monday, February 11, 2008
On the 9th February in CHONG TNOL village TEK TLAR commune, RESSEY KOE District, There was a student named San Min got the serious injured because the group of seven teenagers fought him with using the big stick.
The reason of this violent happened by the victim saw one of the teenager named Dara ride the bicycle very fast so he shouted “why ride so fast?”. A minute later, there were 6 or 7 people joined together with the violent tools in there hand such as big sticks, long [seat?] belts……for using to beat San Min. All the guilty guys were caught.
- A good way to do nothing:
"Sellers Urged to Include Helmets with Motorbikes".
That's what today's (Thursday February 14, 2008) Cambodian Daily reports on a new idea floated by Phnom Penh Municipal Govenor. He 'encouraged motorbike shops to include two safety helemets with each bike sold in a letter dated Feb. 8 and distributed to media outlets Wednesday'.
Sorry, Crossing Cambodia does not understand. If you want shops to sell helmets why send the letter to the media? His deputy continues:'He [the deputy] also said that police could begin issuing tickets next month for people who disregard the year-old compulsory helemet requirement'.
With the emphasis on could, but wouldn't ....
- Today's (Feb 14, 2008) Bangkok Post shows what takes place there:
'Hands on the Wheel:
Drivers using mobile phones without a hands free device will be fined after a new law takes effect on May 7'.
- Independent confirmation, the ferries to Koh Kong province are fastly becoming extinct:
'Two new bridges among four were opened for people to use in Koh Kong. The two bridges connect National road No4 in Sre Ambil point to Koh Kong province. They were built under grant of Thai government which worth US$7.5 million. The bridge called Sre Ambil Bridge is 420m long and the second is Ta Tai with 390m long'.
- Let's hope that figure is correct. Moneakseka Khmer reports:
'The Ministry of Economy and Finance official said that the projects to build roads, irrigation networks, bridges, and other facilities, if they are financed by the ADB, always have to go through biddings, meaning that it is a little bit difficult for government officials to lay their paws on this money. However, the money for repairing roads and bridges that are damaged in spots is not subject to biddings. Consequently, the corrupt officials have a chance to swallow it'.
Heresay?
- Chinese / Vietnamese New Year means that the big shots are out of town despite them being 100% Khmer ... Anyway, an opportunity for Phnom Penh governor to talk tough:
'Kep Chuktema [the gov'] said that the new traffic law has been in effect for a long period of time and, by now, the population should be aware of it already. He said that, therefore, from now on, the city authority will no longer be lenient on these traffic violations anymore'.
Apparently his call co-incides with an order (why does he need an order to enforce the law?) 'to arrest all vehicles violating the traffic law'.
The timing could be better, this time of the year even the policemen leave town ...
- As if that's not enough the governor, in a seperate speech, warned:
'Kep Chuktema, the Phnom Penh city governor, reminded the Chinese-Cambodian and the Vietnamese-Cambodian population in Phnom Penh that, during the Chinese-Vietnamese New Year, if they drink or they are drunk, they shouldn’t drive in order to avoid traffic accidents to themselves and to others.
That mean's that all others (the real Chinese / Vietnamese and Khmer, basically 95% of the population) are free to drink and drive! especially during Chinese / Vietnamese New Year!
- And his comment on this?
'Ten workers were injured when a factory owner’s car slammed into a group of protestors at the order of a local commune chief, labor representatives said Thursday. ... The unnamed driver moved the car into a crowd of workers demonstrating over annual bonuses and layoffs, representatives said'.
Perfectly legal?
- The (daily / deadly ) horror?
'Four people riding on a motorcycle died instantly at the scene when a Hyno truck crashed the motorbike and dragged 20km away until it got burnt'.
Only in Cambodia can a motorcycle accident result in 4 dead! And the following? 'A car, which contained luxurious timber, ran over and killed a three wheel motorbike driver at 4:30 on 31 Jan 2008 in Kampong Siem district’s Ou Svay commune. The three wheel motorbike also contained a big wood'.
- Travel updates? Only good news? From Khmer 440 forum the road to Koh Kong is nearing completion , however:
'The good news is that BIG buses are now travelling over the Sre Ambel bridge and the Ta Tai bridge . [ the two end bridges] The bad news is that travel time has not been reduced as it still takes time to transfer to another big bus at the second bridge [ Andong Tek ] and third bridge [ Trapang Ru ]'.
And the 'dancing' roads for which Cambodia is (in?)famous? On Monday February 4 2008, Cambodian Daily reported 'Road 5 from Poiept to Siem Reap being Rebuilt'
This being an understatement, it is on the verge of being rebuilt since last used as a minefield by the Khmer Rouge. Since then however nothing has happened, turning the road into a national shame On the plus side however it is now any tourist's highlight if they take this section. That's in a negative sense then. Back to the article, the road is to be completed by October, which must seem doubtful, as from June onwards there are heavy rains. 'Saing Savath, director of Banteay Meanchey province's public works and transportation department said he expected the road to attract more tourists [why? Where will all the touristic potholes have gone]. "Before they [the toursits] were bored [certainly not bored] and tired with this road because it had many potholes" '.
More questions seem to appear, the road from Poipet to Siem Reap is 150 km however the section being rebuilt is only '105 km'.
Furthermore the road from Poipet to Sisophon is road number 5 (distance 50 km), from Sisophon the road number is 6 (distance 100km). So what is being rebuilt? A deliberate confusion to syphon off money?
- Not much on internet the last week, however yesterday's (Feb.1, 2008) Cambodian Daily had a couple of traffic related articles. The big news is that highway 32, the road connecting Bokor Mountain (to be, but currently in ruins) Resort, is off-limits while it is being reconstructed (and privatized (?) in the process). Sokha Hotel Group
'estimates it will take around 2,5 years to complete'.
Reportedly trekking up the mountain is becoming all the rage.
'Traffic Injuries deaths up 45% in November'.
A yell from again yesterday's Cambodian Daily. However the article then points to the fact that the 45% rise, is in comparison to October, the year to year rise was 18%, which seems very much in line with the growth in traffic overall. The article also reports 'that the number of motorbike drivers reporting that they wear safety helmets increased from 3% to 7% from October to November'.
A not so trueful statement, as it concerns victims of accidents. In general a look on today's roads (in Phnom Penh) would reveal that this percentage is 25-40%; it implies that helmet wearers are also safer drivers.
- Only if you are important, does an accident make the newspaper. An executive's car overtaking while a car is coming from the other side ...
- China will invest a packet (55 million $US) in a road to Ratanakiri; no strings attached?
- And now for something completly different:
'Motor taxi driver injures a robber. ... The robber used a cleaver to rob the motor taxi driver. They scuffled each other. Meanwhile, the motorbike owner took the cleaver from the robber and attacked him back, police said. The victim known as Trei Sopheak, 35, got severe injured seven times in his neck, head and stomach. While both were fighting, police intervened on time and sent them to the hospital.'
- Motorcycle touring Cambodia? 'Don't look back in Angkor'. A pity the Chinese and private companies will ruin the future for these tourists. Which kind? The kind that like this:
'The two boys and their bikes are totally covered in mud and I suspect, as I try to kick-start my Honda XR250, that I will be soon, given the road ahead is a barely passable series of potholed broken tracks'.
