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Future Forum's research fellow, Ses Aronsakada was published in Kiripost on June 8th, 2024. Check out the original article HERE, and read it below!
In this commentary, Ses Aronsakada explores the advantages of introducing the Siem Reap Regional Bicycle Network to cut down on traffic and enhance livelihoods of people living along busy roads.
Picture travelling along National Road 67: the fast-moving, chaotic, and noisy car and truck traffic, the dust and smoke that choke the air. For residents living along the road, it is not only dangerous, but the noise makes it difficult for neighbours and residents to even greet one another.
Now, imagine an alternative: a cycling network called the Siem Reap Regional Bicycle Network. Picture a web of cycling paths radiating from Siem Reap city, based on local routes, criss-crossing the province and connecting villages and important landmarks. The paths might snake through scenic woodlands, picturesque rural landscapes and tranquil villages, avoiding dangerous vehicle traffic.
Imagine the ways that locals and tourists might use these cycling trails.
A mother might use the trails to bring her child to the commune’s health centre for a scheduled check-up. Using the bike paths, she might pedal peacefully with her son, passing throngs of school children on bicycles and e-scooters heading to the nearby primary school.
Maybe she sees a group of elders carrying firewood on their bicycles heading to the local pagoda, or a fish vendor with freshly caught fish in her e-bike basket headed to sell her wares. Maybe she encounters people with physical disabilities who can use an electric three-wheel scooter to commute independently.
Imagine a family who sells traditional snack cakes from their home. Before the cycle paths, they might have had to bring the cakes several kilometres to Prasat Banteay Srei. Now crowds of tourists on e-bikes and e-scooters might stop by the family house to buy snacks as they make their way there.
Although the change for users - locals and visitors alike - would be radical, the infrastructural changes required to make these hypothetical scenes a reality are comparatively simple. Rather than constructing vast vehicle roadways, disturbing delicate temple sites, displacing villages and farmlands and heightening risk of accidents and pollution, an alternative - and cheaper - approach could be employed.
Build more slow-ways and fewer highways
A fully connected bicycle network would provide safe and well-supported cycling access to the wider Siem Reap region, connecting major destinations, including Banteay Srei, Phnom Kulen National Park, Roulous Temple, Tonle Sap Eco Villages and Boeng Mealea, to the central locales of Siem Reap City and the main Angkor Temple zone.
It is prudent for Siem Reap to avoid constructing costly and destructive highways and parking lots, especially in culturally and ecologically sensitive sites. For example, a 500-car parking lot would cover 13,300m2, introduce noise and air pollution, displace local settlements and spoil the landscape's natural beauty.
Building a well-planned network of bicycle paths is a viable alternative to the traditional car-centric infrastructure approach. For tourists it can supplement or even supersede coach tours when visiting ecologically and physically vulnerable temple locations, cutting down on motorist volume and significantly reducing the necessity to construct and maintain vehicle infrastructure inside the world heritage site.
Additionally, the less intrusive characteristics of cycling paths allows them to be integrated into sensitive areas and make it possible to travel directly between important sites. This saves time, allowing visitors to spend more time in the temple area.
A network like this one would not only connect major destinations but also link smaller destinations along the way. Including camping sites, forest reserves, waterfalls, mountain tops, and temples which are located outside the usual paths.
Moreover, travelling along a bicycle network would offer a cheaper and a safer option for tourists. This type of cycling-based travel is a unique and novel means to experience the natural atmosphere and cultural landscape which Siem Reap is well-known for.
It is also a more human-centred experience, which would enable visitors to ride through rural settlements and interact with local villagers and would allow for more person-to-person exchange than tourists currently experience.
The government has made it clear that it intends to expand tourism in the province beyond the city and beyond the usual sites. The latest Tourism Master Plan for Siem Reap aims to “identify strategies to increase the attractiveness of the entire Siem Reap as well as the surrounding area, where it offers a variety of recreational activities in addition to temple visiting”. A cycling network is the perfect response to this need.
A good policy for locals
The benefits of a Regional Cycling Network would be most appreciated by the countless rural villages that dot the region.
The ability to commute is a huge concern for villages in the region. This issue is especially acute with the newly displaced villagers of Run Ta-ek, who now have to face very long commutes to find employment, highlighting the needs for equitable mobility in rural areas.
Reducing the commuting risk for rural villagers is paramount in Siem Reap which has one of the highest number of traffic fatalities in the country. Villagers already rely on scooters and bicycles to get around. They would be much safer while commuting on separated cycling paths which do not compete with fast-moving motor vehicle traffic. The improved safety and convenience would also encourage more active commuting among villagers.
Lastly, by shifting commute demand away from motor vehicles it reduces the need to build large roadways which displace and sever rural communities. Moreover, low-impact cycling infrastructure that allows visitors to travel through villages is an opportunity for locals to make a living by setting up shops and vending stalls.
Investing in cycling infrastructure is more inclusive, more cost-effective, and safer than building and expanding vehicle roadways which will only benefit car users.
How will this network be arranged?
A Siem Reap Regional Bicycle Network should be anchored around information centres, strategically placed at major destinations. Apart from providing instructions to users, these areas would be the hub for bicycle renting, maintenance, and rest areas with public amenities like toilets and first aid.
In more remote locations, rest areas should be located every 10 kilometres to provide areas for trail users to rest, find refreshment, use public restrooms or seek first aid and assistance.
Cycling paths should be built some distance away from major roadways to decrease the likelihood of encroachment by motor vehicles, reduce the risk of crashes, and improve the atmosphere of the track. Ideally, paths should take advantage of quieter areas, using local paths, and be placed along scenic areas like along streams, near woodlands and orchards.
Access to the bicycle network should incorporate modal filters to prevent motor vehicles from entering. Thoughtful placement of bollards, trees, and narrow lanes also physically restrict access allowing only bicycle sized devices, detering motor vehicle encroachment.
Apart from traditional pedal bicycles, micro mobility vehicles and their electrified versions (e-bikes, scooters, mopeds, etc) should be allowed on the cycling paths.
Light electric vehicles or LEVs boost accessibility by allowing individuals with unique mobility needs, including children, elderly people, people who are physically disabled and more, to cycle longer distances unassisted. Safety can be ensured by strictly regulating speed and weight classification of vehicles.
LEVs potential to make travelling significantly more convenient and accessible combined with an integrated cycling network, allows even casual travellers to plan multi-day excursions to experience the temples and many other natural wonders in the greater Siem Reap region purely by bicycle.
The economics of active commuting
Apart from safety and comfort, other considerations should be made to increase the convenience and efficiency of a bicycle network.
A bicycle-sharing and renting scheme is crucial in getting more road users to adopt cycling. Incorporating existing bike rental shops should be the first step. These shop-owners should be included in cycle route planning so they can serve as initiators, convincing visitors to switching to cycling.
For example, they can explain the bicycle route network, make recommendations on travel routes that are unique or would otherwise not be possible on motor vehicles. Local bicycle shops also stand to directly gain from the adoption of active commuting.
Increased uptake of cycling creates jobs in support of the activity, these jobs can be grouped into four categories: bicycle manufacturing, retail (including sales, repair, and services), infrastructure and bicycle tourism.
To further boost for travellers to adopt cycling during their visit, bike buses—a large convoy of cyclists led by an experienced guide— to popular destinations would offer many benefits over traditional tour coaches.
Existing tourist service providers should modify their products to include urban heritage bike tours, one-day tours to temples, or longer multi-day tours, taking advantage of the Regional Bicycle Network. Their adoption of the cycling network and help in introducing new visitors will prove crucial in convincing more riders to switch to cycling when visiting Siem Reap.
Conclusions
Overall, the Regional Bicycle Network is a low-cost alternative to building highways across Siem Reap. It is less intrusive to archaeology sites, mitigates impacts on the environment and minimises displacement of local settlements.
Not to mention, this alternative approach is safer, more accessible, and more convenient for locals. And with the benefit of being a novel and human-centred experience for visitors to enjoy the splendour of Siem Reap’s many attractions.
The future scenario, a system of trails that benefits locals and tourists alike, might be closer than we think. When crafting a mobility policy, authorities should adopt a human-centred approach which highlights and utilises Siem Reap’s characteristics. The future of Siem Reap can be even more connected, more mobile, and brighter.
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