Garment factory workers commute to work in a truck on National Road 3 in Phnom Penh in March, 2021. Hong Menea
Although the road toll has fallen, traffic accidents remain a concern for the government, particularly those which involve factory workers who often commute on trucks.
Government institutions and their partner organisations are working together to find solutions to the issue.
On June 13, a workshop was held to review the implementation of traffic safety improvements for the Kingdom’s factory workers. The event was attended by National Social Security Fund (NSSF) deputy director-general Heng Sophannarith.
“Because of these challenges, the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, along with the NSSF, pays close attention to the well-being of the Kingdom’s workers. In particular, we are working to reduce their occupational risks as well as those related to the commutes,” Sophannarith said.
He added that traffic accidents are hidden killers, which leave too many people dead, injured or maimed.
“Each accident is a tragedy, with devastating effects on individual families, and their incomes, as well as the national economy,” he said.
He said that no single state institution could prevent such accidents from occurring, but that they needed to work together to bring the road toll down.
“Through the responsible efforts of all ministries and institutions at all levels, as well as with the cooperation of the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation (AIP) in Cambodia, we intend to reduce traffic accidents to the minimum, and improve order on the roads,” he added.
In the first quarter of the year, working groups have supported workers through a series of traffic safety and awareness programmes at a total of 4,196 factories and large enterprises, reaching nearly 600,000 individuals, said an NSSF report.
AIP country director Kim Pagna applauded the NSSF’s efforts to reduce traffic accidents among factory workers.
“Factory staff are being given a clearer understanding of how they can contribute to a reduction in traffic accidents. This marks a remarkable positive development in the work of improving road safety for the workers of Cambodia,” he said.
He added that according to a NSSF report, 2022 saw 275 road accidents involving workers from the garment and footwear sectors. The accidents killed 63 commuting workers and injured 3,993 others.
“Although the figures remain high and more measures are needed, we have seen a significant drop in the overall number of accidents,” he noted.
He attributed the decline to the commitment and attention of state institutions, along with the implementation of key initiatives by multiple stakeholders, including civil society organisations, trade unions, buyers, development partners and the owners of factories.
