The traditional Khmer tuk tuk in all its quirky glory is one of the iconic images of Cambodia. Despite an influx of alternatives, these two-wheeled carriages, known as remorques from the French term for trailer, and usually drawn by the ubiquitous Honda dream, are still an appealing way to get around the city. Time was, remorques were the standard means of transport in Phnom Penh alongside the moto, or motorcycle taxi, and cyclo, the equally iconic Cambodian rickshaw. They first appeared in Cambodia in the 1990s as motorbike ownership grew and by the turn of the millennium were overtaking the cyclo as the staple way to travel.
Phnom Penh is teeming with tuk tuks.
The growing popularity of Indian Bajaj tuk tuks, also called autorickshaws, since the first fleet was launched in Cambodia in 2016 posed a threat to the future of the traditional remorque and has shaken up the capital’s public transport framework significantly. These dinky, agile LPG vehicles, greener, cheaper to use — and to buy and operate — truly came into their own when the first ride hailing apps were introduced the following year. It wasn’t just the remorques and their drivers who suffered the fall out, but the city’s motodops were pretty much put out of business, too. Continue reading
