The state will confiscate right-hand drive vehicles if they are on the roads after Jan 1, Public Works and Transport Ministry Secretary of State Ahmad Yahya announced Wednesday.
Government authorities will aggressively enforce the directive that all right-hand drive vehicles be converted to left-hand drive steering by the end of the year, he said.
“If they don’t change their right-hand vehicles, their vehicles can’t be on the roads,” said Ahmad Yahya, the ministry’s secretary of state. “If they are caught on the roads, they will be expropriated as state property.”
At least one company has received a license from the ministry to convert cars. Taing Te Por, managing director of the Lien Thong Company in Phnom Penh’s Tuol Kok district, said Wednesday that his company is studying the costs of moving a steering column from one side of to the other. The conversion of most cars will cost approximately $1,000, said Taing Te Por.
Ahmad Yahya said there are at least 20,000 owners of right-hand drive vehicles. He said the right-hand steering ban will cut down on traffic accidents.
