Phnom Penh: The Undersecretary of State of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Soeung Sokong, has led officers and representatives of expressway companies to inspect areas of the new Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville expressway that some citizens have identified as being problematic. The Undersecretary instructed the expressway officers to study those potential problem areas to help find solutions for the citizens.
Current problems related to the expressway include the destroy of barbed wire fences, and the release of animals on the expressway.
Undersecretary Soeung Sokong led the team to inspect some areas of the expressway and requested people to stop cutting the surrounding barbed wire fence because it can cause serious harm to traffic.
With guidance, he said that he accepted the request from citizens to discuss with construction companies to find solutions to some of the problems that have been identified.
While visiting a section of the expressway in Village 4, Treng Trayeung Commune, Phnom Sruoch District, Kampong Speu Province, a part of the barbed wire around the expressway was found cut near residential houses, in order to create a pathway for people living in these homes. Undersecretary Soeung Sokong personally inspected this and found out that there is an old abandoned road in the area which can be restored. In this case, in the spirit of resolving conflicts with the people, the Ministry and the expressway company have agreed to facilitate the clearing of existing roads for those who have been affected by the expressway, while also stressing that safety measures such as the barbed wire need to stay in place to prevent traffic accidents that costs people's lives.
In connection to this problem, Senior Minister Sun Chanthol also called on local authorities to educate people living around the expressway to understand and stop this activity.
It should be noted that the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway will be open for free use for the full month of October 2022, and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport hopes that the public and drivers would follow safety instructions and respect the traffic law consistently.
