A municipal official said Monday there will be a grace period on the imposition of penalties for drivers of three-wheeled motorbikes, or tuk-tuks, and motorbike-drawn trailers which are now banned from certain areas.
City Hall banned the vehicles from Phnom Penh’s Prampi Makara, Daun Penh, Chamkar Mon and Tuol Kok districts Sunday.
“We are not going to fine the owners of the three-wheeled motorbikes now. We are going to give them a while to be educated first,” said Heng Vantha, deputy chief of the Municipal Cabinet.
He said the Municipal Department of Public Works and Transportation is in charge of informing the drivers and deciding the length of the grace period.
The operators of three-wheeled vehicles, which City Hall has blamed for traffic congestion and accidents, will be allowed to stay on the streets of Dangkao, Russei Keo and Meanchey districts.
Heng Vantha said the cost of fines has not yet been determined.
Pheng Heng, 36, who drives a covered tuk-tuk, said Monday that he had not yet heard about City Hall’s new directive. “I wish the Municipality would allow us to run on all Phnom Penh districts because some foreigners also like to make journeys on three-wheeled motorbikes,” he said. “So far, the three-wheeled motorbikes never cause traffic accidents on Phnom Penh streets.”
Mach Pros, 38, a tuk-tuk driver, was also chagrined to learn of City Hall’s looming ban. “Three-wheeled vehicles are very popular in Bangkok, so why does the Cambodian municipality limit our way of driving?” he asked. “I will abide by the municipal order, but they have to ban all three-wheeled motorcycles or motorcycle trailers,” said Mach Pros, adding that corrupt traffic police would not enforce the ban fairly.