Dear Editor,
As a
regular visitor to Cambodia, I was shocked to read about the ban on
tuk-tuks using Sisowath. While regular offers of tuk-tuks can be mildly
annoying, they are an integral part of what makes Phnom Penh special.
Their instant availability outside one's hotel makes getting around in
Phnom Penh easy and enjoyable.
On a practical level, what am I
supposed to do in future when I want to get from my hotel at one end of
Sisowath to the bus depot at the other end for my trip to Siem Reap or
Battambang? Carry a heavy suitcase for a kilometre?
More
importantly, what more lucrative area is there in Phnom Penh for the
tuk-tuk drivers to make a living? Why are these guys who are attempting
to make an honest living banished from the busiest tourist area? Why
not target the RCAF-registered luxury vehicles that still illegally
park on the footpath or wherever they like along Sisowath?
Daniel Doyle
Visitor of Phnom Penh
