Getting around Phnom Penh

I imagine this will probably be the first of a few posts about transport in Cambodia....as it is just such an interesting topic.  I was chatting to someone the other day about how you can tell a lot about a country by its traffic....strange but true.

Phnom Penh traffic

 There isn't really any public transport in Phnom Penh.....I have seen a few bus stops around but not that many buses!  There is however, a variety of other transport options for getting around PP.  But one thing that is noticeable is that people do not walk....not anywhere.....ever!

The closest things to public transport are probably the motos and remork-motos (or tuk tuks). The motos are basically motorbike drivers who just pick people up.  I have no idea if there are actually official motos or if it is just random people who pick people up and take them where they want to go in exchange for a few dollars.  VSO requires us to wear helmets on motorbikes, so I don't use the motos very often.  But I think that the ones I have taken are just random people who have picked me up!  But I have always ended up where I need to be (sometimes not via the most direct route).

Tuk tuks are modified motorbikes with a carriage on the back.  They are a bit more expensive than the motos but a really great way to get around.  Trips are usually about a couple of dollars, which isn't that much but does add up if you use them a lot.  The drivers seem to have patches where they hang out and it is beneficial to have at least one (if not more) tuk tuk driver who you can use regularly.

Phnom Penh Tuk Tuk

 

View from a Tuk Tuk

 You also don't see many car taxis.....they have them at the airport but other than that you really don't see them around.


The most popular form of transport is undoubtedly the motorbike.....they are everywhere and as seen in other parts of Asia they can be used to transport pretty much anything!  

Motorbikes everywhere

Motorcycle truck

Can be used to transport anything

There is also an increasing number of cars and in particular new, big, fancy cars which might not be the most suitable form of transport for PP roads...but there are a surprising number.  You don't see that many old or small cars but an abundance of Lexus (Lexi?!), Range Rovers and I even saw a Rolls Royce the other day and a Rolls Royce showroom has opened near my work!
 

One of the increasing number of large cars

My preferred mode of transport is by bicycle, largely because VSO provide volunteers with a free bike!  You don't see that many bicycles around, they are mainly ridden by barang (foreigners), old people and school kids (although quite a few seem to ride motorbikes).  Cycling in PP is certainly an experience and a little bit different from cycling in Melbourne.  But I think I have adapted well to my new environment and have got quite into cycling around the streets of PP.

My bicycle