Transport

The majority of roads in rural Pu Ngaol are dirt tracks. The suspension bridge provides an essential route to cross the Ou Te River that cuts through the community. However, the wet season and the flooding of the Ou Te River damages these routes and risks cutting off community members access to essential services in the Memang commune. Can you propose any ideas to improve sustainable and equitable transport access in and around Pu Ngaol?

Overview

Nearly 74% of Cambodia’s roads are rural, provincial roads. In the days before motorised transport, the Khmer rarely met the Bunong people. Today, motorbikes are the most commonly used mode of transportation, accounting for around 87% of the total number of vehicles in the country. Pu Ngaol village is a 5-20 minute drive to the Toul village markets and a one hour drive from Senmonorom. The road to Senmonorom was recently upgraded to a good quality red gravel road that is maintained and graded by the Australian gold mining company nearby. People travel to Senmonorom by either motorbike or car.

During term time, the schools open at 7am when there is early light. Students walk or sit on the back of motorbikes to get to the Memang primary school and secondary school in Toul, and will cross the suspension bridge. Students attend school for six days per week. The primary school lasts for half a day and the secondary school typically lasts six hours depending on the student schedules.

The Memang commune medical centre in Toul Village is a government clinic that covers all five villages under the Memang commune. The centre does not have any highly skilled medical personnel and is limited by what health support it can offer, due to the remoteness of the area. Transportation can be challenging for community members who need to travel to the medical centre. Road conditions are particularly treacherous if people become sick during the night. When someone in Pu Ngaol becomes unwell, they will pay for a nurse or doctor to come to their home and treat them. People will travel to Mondulkiri Medical Centre (60 km away), if they can afford to and the illness is serious, which has more facilities.

Current situation

Traditionally, tamed elephants were used by the Bunong people for forest transportation and cultivation as there were very few roads. Today, motorbikes are the most common form of transport and collecting natural resources in Pu Ngaol. Almost every family owns one or two motorbikes that are used by the family or shared with neighbours. Tyres can get easily stuck in dirt tracks and off road. Community members wrap chains around the tyres to prevent motorbikes getting stuck off-road.

Within Pu Ngaol, the roads are mainly dirt tracks. These are in poor condition, especially during the wet season when the roads become damaged and inaccessible, affecting local access and discouraging students from attending schools. In Pu Ngaol, bicycles are also common but car ownership is very low, except among a few wealthier families. Vehicles are petrol and diesel that can be refilled at a shop in Toul Village. The shop sells fuel in 0.5, one or two litre glass bottles. There are repair shops around the Memang commune that can conduct vehicle maintenance.

Poor road conditions during the wet season on the road to the Primary School in Pu Ngaol village

The suspension bridge across the Ou Te River is a key transport point in Pu Ngaol, particularly in the wet season. The bridge connects Pu Ngaol to the other homes and farms in the village, the schools, marketplaces and Toul village. However, the bridge can get dammed when the water level rises as high as the bridge, preventing crossing. During the dry season the bridge isn’t used as much. The river drops low enough for tractors and carts to cross via a concrete section that would otherwise not be able to cross the bridge. The 35 m long and 1.5 m high suspension bridge was built in 2015. The total cost was 137 million riel (approximately $33,000 USD) and was funded by the government and community members’ contributions. It is made from good quality timber (which reduces the risk of termites) and steel cables.

Chains are added to motorbikes to improve driving on the dirt tracks in wet conditions

RELEVANT CASE STUDIES

Take a look at the following case studies for more information and ideas. As you explore this area and the perspectives from the case studies, consider how transport interconnects with other challenges identified by the community:

Amnus Nhoeb (Community Member, Pu Ngaol) and Nhean Nhroeun (Deputy Village Chief, Pu Ngaol) describe their travel by motorbike into the forests to collect resin.
Chen Saitevy (Community Member, Pu Ngaol) describes how difficult road conditions during the rainy season can impact travel to markets, the hospital and schools.
Nheang Heng (Community Member, Pu Ngaol) shares his experience with mobility challenges in his day-to-day life.

Projects

4. Improving modes of transport

Motorbikes are the main form of travel in Pu Ngaol, used for accessing medical support, attending education/employment and transporting goods/water. However, they require modifications to adapt to the varied road conditions and are often shared between families. What ideas can you come up with to improve resilient and equitable access to transportation in Pu Ngaol?

5. Improving transport infrastructure

The Ou Te River cuts through the landscape of Pu Ngaol, making transportation between villages and access to local areas difficult. The bridge can become unusable in the wet seasons. Flooding and rain also makes dirt tracks inaccessible. What ideas can you come up with to improve transport access to essential services, connected by muddy roads, and are easy to maintain locally?

6. Improving mobility access for amputees

Cambodia has the world’s largest amputee population and the country has a dedicated SDG to tackle explosive remnants of war. This affects people’s ability to use motor vehicles to traverse the challenging road conditions. What ideas can you come up with to improve accessible transportation in Pu Ngaol and between villages?

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