Streets of Cambodia

So what does transportation and traffic look like in Cambodia?

Well for starters, people drive on the right side of the road just like in America.  Most cars that end up in Cambodia are cars that have been deemed totaled by insurance companies from all over the world.  So some cars have steering wheels on the left side of the car, while other cars have steering wheels on the right side of the car.  It’s strange to look at an oncoming vehicle when the steering wheel is on the right side of the car. It looks like no one is driving.

Motos, motos, and more motos… Motos are the most popular form of transportation in Cambodia.  The roads are covered with motos all going different directions.  It’s not unusual to see motos driving on the wrong side of the road. I have seen as many as 6 people riding on one moto, and I believe the record is 7 people.  Motos are a way of life here in Cambodia and are used to haul all kinds of things.   Just a few things that I have seen motos carry are: pigs (full grown pigs that are probably headed to the slaughter house), chickens (over a hundred chickens strung up by their feet and attached to the handlebars and luggage rack, and big sheets of glass (held by the passenger).

Some motos have been modified to pull a carriage for people to ride in. They are called tuk-tuks and are seen all over Phnom Penh operating like taxis.

Bicycles are another major mode of transportation here in Cambodia.   Most bikes are old women’s bikes with a basket hanging on the handlebars.

There are also trucks, buses, vans, ox carts, and on occasion even an elephant walking the streets of the city.

Believe it or not, traffic flows like a river here; no one really stops unless at a traffic light...well most people stop. There is mainly one rule to remember:  the biggest vehicle has the right of way.  For the most part people yield to the biggest vehicle, but at the same time everyone just goes at once.  When I first started to drive I would wait at intersections for a break in traffic… I could wait for several minutes before going.  I have since learned I just have to nudge my way into the intersection.  They sure didn’t teach me that in Drivers Education class.