Siem Reap authorities will develop new parking areas for vehicles in the downtown district to avoid traffic jams in the Old Market and Pub Street area.

Deputy governor Bun Tharith said vehicles such as tuk tuks and cars can no longer park along streets in the Old Market area from now on.

He said authorities will organise the first new parking area alongside the Siem Reap Provincial Hospital.

“After we have prepared the parking area, no one can park their vehicle in streets in the Old Market area and Pub Street as before. If people wish to enter these areas they have to park in our parking area and walk in.”

He added that authorities are also trying to find suitable empty land near the tourism area to develop as extra parking bays.

Siem Reap governor Khim Bun Song also told Insider that that the parking problems would be addressed, adding buses to the list of vehicles that cause traffic jams in the tourism precinct.

“We are going to prepare the parking area for those kinds of vehicles to avoid any traffic jam especially during Happy New Year’s Day which will be coming soon. The parking area will be along the wall of Siem Reap Provincial Hospital and also in front of Chea Sim’s Primary School which is next door to Old Market and Pub Street.”

He added that Siem Reap province is preparing to welcome New Year’s Day tourists by increasing order and security, and by further illuminating the streets with lights in trees and with the installation of more light posts along the roadsides.

He said, “We have started to prepare the public order and security for international and local visitors and we have organised many cleaning campaigns and begun to educate our people to love the environment.”

There has been much conjecture in town about a new parking lot to be developed near the crocodile farm, but to date authorities have not confirmed this.

There have also been widespread complaints about the large number of big buses clogging downtown areas in the evening and hogging what parking spaces are available. Buses have been banned from entering the major tourism precinct but this has only exacerbated problems in areas adjacent to the downtown precinct proper. Areas such as Central market Street have now become parking lots for large buses in the evenings, causing traffic jams in an area that is ironically earmarked for smaller vehicle parking..

Additional reporting by Peter Olszewski