City Hall flips on the (traffic) lights

New traffic lights at the intersection of Phnom Penh's Norodom Blvd and Street 154. Sreng Meng Srun

Thu, 9 March 2017

Kong Meta

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Three of the 100 new traffic lights installed since November last year went online yesterday, with two others slated to join them today, Phnom Penh governor Pa Socheatvong said in two Facebook posts. The lights that went online yesterday were located in Boeung Trabek, at the Intercontinental Hotel and at the intersection of Norodom Blvd and Street 154 (above).

According to City Hall spokesman Met Measpheakdey, all the remaining new traffic lights will be functioning by the end of May, in addition to the 26 mounted security cameras that are already in operation. The lights and cameras were funded by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency.

Chev Hak, municipal traffic police chief, said that citizens had been complaining about the non-operational new traffic lights, many of which had been installed in a way that blocked the functioning lights they were meant to replace.

“As soon as the new ones start to function, we will start removing the old traffic lights,” he said, adding that the old lights will be installed at intersections on Phnom Penh’s outskirts, such as in Por Sen Chey and Dangkor districts. According to Hak, 400 of 600 security cameras slated for installation as part of a separate project are already up and running.

“They have already captured those who violate traffic laws, like those who do not obey the traffic lights ... We are now preparing the punishment system; we will wait until we finish [installing] the cameras,” he said.