At the Neak Leung Ferry Terminal, Bribes Pay the Way
Every year, tens of thousands of people cross the Mekong River from Kandal to Prey Veng province to celebrate the Pchum Ben festival with their families. For some, queuing at the Neak Leung ferry terminal breathing in the exhaust fumes of thousands of vehicles can be an arduous, daylong mission. But for those who can afford it, the wait can be over in less than an hour. At the front of a 2-km queue Wednesday, pressed hard up against a chain that separated the masses from the ferries, were those who had arrived before dawn to be first in line. … However, another group present at the front were people who had paid bribes of about $5 to local police officers in order to bypass the hoards and take the fast route onto the boat via a shortcut. … However, another group present at the front were people who had paid bribes of about $5 to local police officers in order to bypass the hoards and take the fast route onto the boat via a shortcut. Beyond the snaking traffic jam, a pair of traffic police stood guard of a free-flowing road that veered right off National Road 1. “If people want to go straight, that is ok,” said one of the officers, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “But this way is much shorter and much faster,” he continued as he gestured toward the unjammed road, which loops around and reconnects with National Road 1 just meters from the chain that separates commuters from ferries. … Loeuk Dek district police chief Ros Chantha denied that his officers were taking bribes from people looking to cross the Mekong. “Our police cannot take money [for shortcuts] because there is only one road to the ferry,” he said without elaborating. …
Matt Blomberg and Mech Dara
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/at-the-neak-leung-ferry-terminal-bribes-pay-the-way-44330/
