Travel by Taxi

Traveling by Taxi in Cambodia
7 September 2008

Any kind of travel in Cambodia is dangerous. Travel by taxi is especially so. Taxis are used for transportation between cities and towns because there is very little public intercity transportation. The taxis carry passengers, freight, even mail because there is no functioning postal system. The taxi drivers are notorious for their aggression and lack of respect and concern for the common good; their high accident rate; and for their excessive speed and incredibly dangerous driving habits. The Deaf Development Programme policy requires staff to travel on the few available buses where possible because of the inherent danger in taxis. These pictures were taken on a day trip when three of the DDP staff were forced to take a two-hour taxi ride to and from Kampong Cham province.

Two people in driver's seat Two people in passenger seat

Dangerous return taxi Taxis are interested only in money and will operate only with eight or nine people in a five-seat vehicle. Four or five people are forced into the back, and normally there are two people in each of the two front seats. These pictures show a passenger sitting between the driver and the door in the driver's seat--with the driver sitting between the two front seats--in two different taxis. The top right photo shows two people in the passenger seat also. Notice the bottom driver cannot use the rearview mirror because his head is up against the windshield.

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	Taxis are interested only in money and will operate only with eight or nine people in a five-seat vehicle. Four or five people are forced into the back, and normally there are two people in each of the two front seats. These pictures show a passenger sitting between the driver and the door in the driver's seat--with the driver sitting between the two front seats--in two different taxis. The top right photo shows two people in the passenger seat also. Notice the bottom driver cannot use the rearview mirror because his head is up against the windshield.