Siem Reap provincial authorities sold more than 1,000 jackets last week in an effort to regulate transportation services, provincial officials said Tuesday.
“We want to ensure the visitors are safe when traveling,” said provincial Governor Chap Nhalyvudh. “So we must regulate the drivers.”
More than 2,000 drivers work in Siem Reap town.
The jacket policy was imposed in a joint decision earlier this month by the ministries of Tourism and the Interior. This week, 1,800 drivers applied.
Police already have sold and issued 1,500 jackets at $6 apiece. Ninety percent of drivers serving tourists are willing to pay for the jackets, Chap Nhalyvudh said.
The provincial authority has designed a jacket with an identification number on the back, an emergency police number below it and the driver’s name on the left breast.
Police have records of all drivers who have registered for the jacket, including identification number, name, date of birth and home address. The information will help police investigate accidents involving tourists or possible crimes.
“Otherwise we don’t know who are really serving tourists and who are not,” Chap Nhalyvudh said, adding that some thieves impersonate motorbike taxi drivers.
Ros Sarath, Siem Reap deputy police chief, said there have been a few cases of theft, kidnapping tourists for money and pressuring tourists to stay at a particular hotel, from which drivers receive a commission.
Police authorities will cooperate with airline companies and travel agencies and will release posters to tourists informing them that drivers with jackets provide reliable service.
Any problems tourists encounter will be quickly addressed, Ros Sarath added.
“There are now more the 300 provincial police, heritage police and tourism police officers guarding visitors,” he said. “If any foreigner faces problems, our country will receive a bad image.”
