United Nations Special Envoy for Road Safety Jean Todt said that the UN will assist the Cambodian government with improving road safety and reducing traffic accidents.
Todt made the remarks while meeting with Minister of Interior Sar Kheng on November 24 at the National Assembly where they discussed the progress of road safety in Cambodia, according to the Ministry of Interior.
He told Sar Kheng that the UN encourages the use of public transportation to reduce the number of vehicles on the roads and that to improve road safety and reduce road traffic accidents it would also require the participation of the private sector.
Todt also noted that he had been in Cambodia ten years ago and on this trip he noted the remarkable development Cambodia has undergone, including improvements in road safety.
Sar Kheng told Todt that Cambodia has tried to reduce road casualties, but nevertheless the accidents are still happening. He said the government is working to improve legal standards and related provisions, using more technical tools in road safety inspection and improving infrastructure.
He told Todt that traffic accidents in Cambodia have been caused by two main factors, human factors and infrastructure factors such as road signs. The government is building road infrastructure such as highways and expressways and expanding them into many lanes, connecting between provinces to ease public transport and reduce traffic accidents.
“[Sar Kheng] told Todt that to continue to improve road safety management, the work that needs to be done is strengthening law enforcement and promoting public awareness. These would contribute to reducing road casualties to the minimum,” the ministry of interior said.
Sar Kheng also thanked the UN special envoy for input on how to reduce traffic accidents in Cambodia.
