A group of NGOs released a statement Thursday calling on the CPP government of Prime Minister Hun Sen to begin its program of promised post-election reforms by ending the practice of overcharging for motorcycle parking outside of local markets.
The Affiliated Network for Social Accountability-Cambodia, a transparency-focused NGO supported by the World Bank, along with the Khmer Institute for National Development and the Independent Democratic Union of Informal Economic Association, called for the overcharging to stop.
“The public is still keenly waiting for the government to fulfill their promise to implement new political reforms in the governance of all sectors,” the statement says, recommending that reform begin with parking corruption in provincial and city finance departments.
“The overcharging for motorcycle parking outside of markets is very widespread but we cannot take any legal action against these illegal acts that are managed by the departments of economy and finance.”
“[We] insist that effective steps are taken by the departments of economy and finance to restore order,” it adds.
The statement says that the price of market parking dictated by the departments of economy and finance is 300 riel, or about $0.08, but that most markets around the country charge patrons up to 1,000 riel, or about $0.25.
A parking ticket vendor at Phnom Penh’s Olympic Market Thursday confirmed that ticket vendors are instructed to charge 1,000 riel per patron, and not the 300 riel that is clearly printed on each ticket.
“It’s up to my boss to determine this price,” said the ticket vendor, who asked not be named for fear of losing his job.
A vendor at the city’s O’Russei market said that parking at the market also costs 1,000 riel.
Yuon Nguon, a 53-year-old motorcycle taxi driver from Kompong Speu province, said that he was unhappy with regularly being overcharged for parking.
“They always demand 1,000 to 1,500 riel every time even though it is supposed to be only 300 riel,” he said.
“I want the government to deal with this problem because the prices of these tickets are far too overpriced.”
