Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday shot down a proposal by Phnom Penh governor Pa Socheatvong to restrict the number of second-hand car imports to the country to ease traffic congestion in the city.

Socheatvong made the suggestion during a speech on Tuesday and Hun Sen took to Facebook to say the government had blocked the import of only right-hand drive cars. He then instead encouraged citizens to save money and buy more cars.

“As prime minister, I would tell everyone that I do not agree to this proposal. Please, everyone save money and buy cars,” he wrote.

City Hall spokesman Mean Chanyada said by telephone that Socheatvong had only been advocating for a step-by-step implementation of stricter regulations on the import of used cars to decrease growing congestion in the city, which Japanese traffic experts working with the government have long warned needs to be better dealt with as the city continues to develop.

Separately, the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation yesterday also inaugurated its second mobile roadworthiness inspection kiosk, which will be used across 13 provinces that do not have inspection services to check if vehicles are up to code.