Rising fuel prices driven by West Asia conflict are slashing the earnings of Phnom Penh’s tuk-tuk drivers, threatening their livelihoods ahead of the Khmer New Year.
PHNOM PENH: Thousands of Cambodian auto-rickshaw drivers are facing a severe income squeeze as escalating fuel prices, linked to conflict in West Asia, cut deeply into their daily earnings.
Nearly 20,000 drivers in the capital depend on the three-wheeled vehicles, known locally as tuk-tuks, with 90% of them powered by liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
The price of LPG has surged from 2,000 riel (RM2) per kilogram to 2,800 riel (RM2.74) per kilogram in recent days, while gasoline has been holding at 5,200 riel (RM5.07) per litre since the outbreak of conflict disrupted global energy flows.
Phnom Penh-based Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association President Vorn Pao told Bernama that drivers’ incomes have been declining since the conflict began and no longer match the cost of living.
“Their income does not match the cost of living,” said Pao, noting that drivers must cover food, children’s schooling, and loan repayments for their vehicles.
These drivers are a crucial part of the urban transport fabric in a city of nearly three million people where public infrastructure remains underdeveloped, providing affordable mobility alongside motorcycle taxis known as “motodop”.
With the Khmer New Year festivities approaching in mid-April and the onset of scorching summer heat, drivers now face a severe struggle to earn a living in an already overcrowded sector.
Pao warned that many may be forced to work day and night to compensate, a move that will impact their health and family life, potentially preventing travel to hometowns for the upcoming holiday.
The landlocked nation imports most of its oil and gas, spending RM9.4 billion last year on diesel, gasoline, and combustion gas, with market uncertainty now threatening these imports.
The Commerce Ministry reported last week that over 400 fuel stations and depots have closed or suspended operations due to delays in new fuel supplies.
