Getting from A to B : Walking

So, getting around Phnom Penh can be pretty challenging. For a first time visitor to SE Asia, the crazy traffic and modes of transport are really remarkable so I thought i'd make a few blog notes on some of the ways we've been getting around town.

I'm starting at the bottom of the food chain and working up, Phnom Penh road rules at first sight are non-existent but there is structure and a simple rule-set here. Basically, if you're bigger than the other guy then you have right of way pretty much in any circumstances ie: a car has right of way over a tuk tuk, and a tuk tuk has right of way over a moto etc. For the pedestrian this unfortunately means that you really are at the bottom of the pile, just below ox carts and cyclists. Locals in Phnom Penh don't seem to walk much at all, catching moto's mostly or riding a scooter. It's only crazy barangs who will try to walk anywhere longer than a couple of blocks.


Pavements here look like they have been made by someone who has heard about the idea from a mate, and maybe seen a photo of one once, but really doesn't get what they are for. As the local businesses spill onto them, and people park cars on them, this means you have to walk in the road most of the time. On the rare occasions you can walk on the pavement you may well find someone driving a scooter along it. The town planners aren't going to win any awards for this beauty which is just outside our apartment...

The other traffic principle is for everyone to keep moving. Phnom Penh traffic doesn't move fast (maybe 30kmh maximum) but also it pretty much never stops. As a pedestrian if you're waiting for everyone to stop before you try to cross the road you'll be waiting a long time, including at pedestrian crossings (the "green man" is a flexible concept here). It's really a case of spotting your gap and moving slowly but confidently out into the traffic without making any sudden / unpredictable moves which could end up in a tangle with a moto. Em & I have been getting much better at this recently and an Irish tourist actually asked us for help crossing the road the other day. The green man here is pretty cool, he does this funky slow-mo run which gets quicker as the clock ticks down. Check out this clip, you can see the 4WD's, motorbikes etc blindly ignoring the crossing signal...



Yikes...you can see why none of the locals walk ;-)