Phnom Penh City Hall has called on authorities in the capital’s 12 districts to ramp up security and public order in preparation for the upcoming Pchum Ben and Kathin festivals.

In a notice issued on Wednesday, Phnom Penh Governor Pa Socheatvong expressed concerns over the level of preparedness in the city.

“The 12 districts do not have realistic plans for overseeing the safety, security and traffic during the two festivals,” he said.

The 15-day Pchum Ben festival will see people paying respect to their deceased relatives at pagodas throughout the country, and begins September 28, with the final three days official national holidays.

The Kathin holiday period runs for a month, between October 28 and November 25.

Nationwide festivals in Cambodia are consistently marred by increases in road fatalities, and the capital often sees spikes in thefts as people seek extra money for trips to their home provinces.

National Military Police spokesman Eng Hy yesterday said no plans had been made regarding how many extra units would be deployed during the festival periods.