If walking around the grounds of Wat Phnom seems like too much effort, perhaps gliding around on a Segway-like personal transporter might appeal.
City Hall has bought 10 of the battery-powered two-wheeled electric vehicles and hopes to use them to bring more tourists to the capital attraction.
“They are for security guards to use but we will also make them available for tourists to rent,” said City Hall spokesman Met Measpheakdey.
A half-hour ride would cost 10,000 riel, or $2.50, he added.
First to test out the self-balancing machines were Phnom Penh municipal governor Pa Socheatvong and other officials who went out for a spin in front of the cameras on Wednesday and seemed to quickly master the technique of staying upright.
Mr. Measpheakdey said that if the pilot program succeeds, City Hall may consider expanding it to other parts of the city.
He said he was not aware how much had been spent buying the vehicles, but added that the money had come from City Hall’s budget.
