APAD 120: Special delivery by cyclo

This is a common sight everywhere in the city. The lowly cyclo, a local three-wheeled rickshaw, is one of the most enduring means of local transportation here in Cambodia. It is human-powered and equipped with seat to carry passengers. And cargoes, all sorts, such as above. It is estimated that there are around 2,000 cyclos plying the streets of Phnom Penh.

I like riding on a cyclo. It is slow, yes, but I like it because it gives me the opportunity to savour the sights and sounds of Phnom Penh. But these days, when the number of vehicles have quadrupled since the day I arrived in the Kingdom (11 years ago!), I rarely take the cyclo anymore. The once pleasurable cyclo ride has turned into a terrifying one, at least for me. Drivers don’t use the correct lanes, don’t observe traffic rules, and they have made the cyclo driver’s job harder and riskier. I just pray that the cyclo drivers go about their daily route safe and sound each day.

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