IN an effort to avoid the piles ofrotting garbage on Phnom Penh streets, the

municipality has banned the transport of raw livestock and agricultural products

into the city.

These little piggies won't be going to market - or at least not in one piece as shown - following a new edict by the Phnom Penh authorities.

Animals such as chickens and ducks will have to be killed

and plucked on the outskirts of Phnom Penh before being brought into the

markets. Similarly, plant products such as bananas and other fruit must be

cleaned of leaves and fibers though they can remain on their stems. They will

also have to be packed in boxes.

Peng Sokun, Deputy Director of Public

Works and Transport, said the move was aimed at reducing the amount of organic

rubbish littering the city streets. He said the rubbish caused problems with

sanitation and was ugly.

He said a facility would be built at Preak Leap

where traders could kill and gut animals or clean their agricultural products

before bringing them into Phnom Penh.

Meanwhile, on April 25 this year,

the Phnom Penh municipality banned taxi pickup trucks and vans from entering

central Phnom Penh in an effort to cut down on traffic congestion and improve

public order.

Sokun said that initially they would be cracking down on

unsafe taxi vehicles - those without yellow stripes or markings, overloaded with

passengers or goods.

Sokun said the whole industry was out of control. He

said Psar Thmei Taxi station only had facilities for 52 taxis but more than 650

touted for business there.

A taxi driver spoken to by the Post said a van

could usually carry 20 to 25 people in a 12-seater, while eight people could be

squeezed into a four-seater car.

The plan is for passengers to be dropped

off outside Phnom Penh from where they will take moto-taxis to their final

destination.

However, Sokun said the Phnom Penh authorities were

concerned that setting up a transfer system on the outskirts of the city could

push up prices.

"We must be careful and add up the cost to the passengers

so it will not cost them a lot more money," he said.