When Chan Vuthy and Sok Sokun lost all of their possessions in the blaze that engulfed hundreds of houses in Phnom Penh’s Chamkarmon District May 25, they turned to the Cyclo Center. They both received 32,500 riel (about $8.30), out of the center’s donation box to help them relocate their families.
Since it opened in 1999, the center has been a one-stop help facility for cyclo drivers in the Phnom Penh area. But lately, funding has been scarce. So on Monday, 20 of its members will ride their cyclos 124 km to Kompong Cham, returning to Phnom Penh the next day. The cyclo drivers hope to raise money through sponsors to support the center’s activities.
Services at the center range from basic health care twice a week, a savings group in which 68 cyclo drivers invest, washing facilities, a free haircut service and cyclo repair, said center coordinator Meas Kimseng.
The center provides general information on family planning, domestic violence and human rights. Topics also include agriculture and the environment since half of the cyclo drivers are farmers who come to Phnom Penh after the planting season is over. Most drivers at the center are from Svay Rieng and Prey Veng provinces, Meas Kimseng said.
Walls at the center’s facility, located on a narrow, dirt street near Wat Tuol Tompoung, are covered with information—from traffic signs and land mine safety tips, to English expressions and a map of the world. The center offers English classes that can make an enormous difference in a cyclo driver’s income.
“We make more money when we have foreign clients,” cyclo driver Hul Savorn said.
Meas Kimseng said knowing English can boost a driver’s daily wages from 4,000 riel (about $1) to more than $5, he said. But most of cyclo clients are Cambodians, and they pay less.
Competing with motorbike taxis has been very difficult, said Chan Vuthy. In 1996, he could earn a much as 10,000 riel ($2.55) per day. Today, he makes about 6,000 riel ($1.53) per day. “It’s hard for us to make money with cyclos because there are more three-wheel motorbikes besides moto-taxis,” Chan Vuthy said.
The Center also offers training in radio, car and moto repairs to give drivers additional skills to earn a living, Meas Kimseng said. The training is provided by the UN Center for Human Settlement.
The Cyclo Center, which serves 498 members in addition to visitors, is part of the Urban Resource Center, from which it receives technical assistance. It was launched with money collected during a fund-raising cyclo ride to Kampot and Sihanoukville in 1999. Last year, the center received support from Canada Fund and Church World Services. It now operates on minimal funding from Epic Arts in the United Kingdom. For information on the ride, call the Cyclo Center at 023-211 474.
