In North America, especially in rural areas, everyone has a car or a truck to get around.  I’ve had to learn how to get around in Phnom Penh, living without a car.  Most cities have public transit but buses are not even listed as an option in the city guide book.  The most common form of transportation for the locals is a “moto” or scooterbut the most common form for visitors is a tuk-tuk.  The most unusual thing I saw on the road was a scooter with a food cart.  There was an open fire burning in the bottom.

Open fire in his cart as he drives down the road.

Rules of the Road

To the untrained eye, it would appear that there are not rules at all.   Vehicles generally travel on the right side of the road, but it’s not uncommon to see a scooter coming down the wrong side towards you.   There are a few traffic lights with turn signals and a few traffic circles, but most intersections have no lights or signs.  Right of way is determined by what I call “critical mass.”  When there are enough vehicles wanting to go, they go and everyone else stops.  It is usually led by a bigger car or truck,  and all the scooters follow.  He who hesitates… I have seen a couple of scooters down on the road, but not in intersections.

Pedestrians have no rights.  This is a challenge because sidewalks are in short supply.  When you find one, there are usually trees planted all along the center, or scooters parked, or often cars parked right up to the entrance of a store. There was a wedding tent appeared on the sidewalk one afternoon and everyone just went around it.

I mostly have to walk along the edge and pay close attention.  The sidewalks are not even and have lots of loose blocks and drain covers to navigate.  If you are in a group, single file is the only safe option.  When I cross the street,  it’s important to move quickly but not to run and risk tripping.  The vehicles pace themselves according to this premise.  Again, hesitating is dangerous.

An unusual real sidewalk

Not so much

There’s a sidewalk in there somewhere.

Luckily, my walk to school is only 400 m through a secure neighborhood.  The street I cross in front of the school has several speed bumps so it slows vehicles down enough to cross pretty easily.  The grocery store is another 400 m past the school so I can walk there easily.  The mall with a larger grocery store, dollar stores (1.90 US actually), movie theatre and ice skating rink is about a 20 minute walk from here.

Other Transportation

School Van

The school has a van and a driver.  For official trips, they are available.  I used one to get to the clinic for a required health check up.  It also took me to the bank to open an account.  This van is available to all staff on the Saturday after payday to go to the bank, although I was the only one who took advantage of that yesterday.  There are also school “buggies” that transport some of the students.

School buggy

Tuk-Tuk

This is the most common way to get around the city.  You can wave one down on the street and tell where you want to go.  If they don’t speak much English, you can show them on your phone map.  They hold 4-5 people.  For most trips, they cost $3 or $4 each way.  Since there are usually 2-5 of us travelling together, it is very reasonable.

Regular tuk-tuk

Since arriving here, however, I have learned about PassApp Taxi  It is like Uber for tuk-tuks and you book it on your phone.  It shows you where the driver is.  When you leave, the driver has the route on his phone so you don’t have to worry about explaining where you want to go.  They have some set routes they have to follow, though.  On a trip taken by friends last week, the driver took a different road and the police stopped him and gave him a $2 fine.

This is a cash society here so you just pay the driver what he tells you when you arrive.  I have to remember to keep a stack of 1’s in my wallet for this.  So far, it has been cheaper than what the negotiated rate would have been.  You also get a bill on your phone and it tracks your trips so can select the same destination if you need to go back another time.

The PassApp tuk-tuks are small and a self-contained.  Two people is comfortable but 3 is a crowd.  We discovered this weekend that some of the taxis are getting in on this system and we can book a car for almost the same price.  Five was tight, but if we have 4, it is great.  Air conditioning and seatbelts are welcome.

Pass App Tuk-tuk

Shopping on a Scooter

I try to shop often so I can carry home in my backpack what I need.  When I was first setting up my apartment, I did use a tuk-tuk to bring me home with my purchases.  While at the Cambodian markets, I saw many examples of how creative the locals are at getting their shopping home on a scooter.   I’ve included several pictures to give you an idea.  It’s hard to imagine shopping for a family with only a scooter for transportation.

family shopping trip

another family

Home from the market.

A chair on his head

landscapers trailer

construction trailer

intersection

traffic at the market