PHNOM PENH: On the morning of July 22, more than 400 buses were scheduled to transport citizens to the provinces for free so that they can go to the polls on Sunday.
Early in the morning at the designated bus stop in Phnom Penh, many people rushed to take the free bus organized by the Royal Government. Most of them had arrived by 4:30 am, while buses were scheduled to leave at 5:30 am.
EAC reporters were on the scene at the bus stop at Russey Keo Park this morning. They found many people waiting for the bus, with the majority going to Battambang, Pursat, Prey Veng and Svay Rieng provinces.
Reach Visan, an Information Technology student at the CITEC Institute, said that he was pleased that the Royal Government was providing free buses for people to travel home to vote safely.
Chum Srey Nea, a student at Asia Europe University who had already taken her seat in the bus, felt that it was safe to take the public bus, as the driver obeyed traffic laws, and the atmosphere in the car was cool and not crowded.
Another citizen who was heading to the polls in Battambang province had been waiting for the bus since 4:30 am, but wasn’t able to board the bus until 7:30 am. Srey Neath said she was happy that the Royal Government was always concerned about the well-being of the people. She said that when there was no public bus, she and her family had to spend 100,000 Riels each way.
She said, "The PM really helped us a lot. Our business does not earn much. If the bus cost money, or if there was no bus, maybe I wouldn’t be going to the polls.”
She would like the government to continue to provide buses to transport people free-of-charge and to provide more buses to make it easier for people who cannot necessarily afford it.
Bus driver Sun Heang was transporting people to Prey Veng province. He has been working for the Phnom Penh Capital Administration for almost ten years, and observed that this morning many people came to use public transportation to get home to vote. He said that although he would be busy transporting people to the province, he would not forget to go to the polls, which he will do in Phnom Penh after his shift.
Both citizens and drivers thanked the Royal Government for providing free buses to the provinces for major festivals, especially for the 7th National Assembly election on Sunday.
Phnom Penh Governor Khuon Sreng confirmed to reporters that according to the Royal Government's guidelines, the Phnom Penh Capital Administration has ordered 350 buses to transport people to the provinces, but the Phnom Penh Capital Administration has provided an additional 50 buses.
Gov. Khuong Sreng said that the buses arranged to transport citizens and workers to vote in the provinces have either 20, 30 and 45 seats. He confirmed that they are all buses from Korea, China and Japan that support the Royal Government of Cambodia to facilitate free transportation of citizens. Some of the buses were rented from private companies to meet the needs of the people.
Gov. Khuong Sreng said that the Royal Government's commitment to providing free transportation for the election keeps people happy and shows the high level of care the Prime Minister has for his people. He emphasized that the gesture will help by reducing the financial burden on those who need to travel home to vote.
