For Metered Taxi, a Measured Struggle

Soth Virak, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
12 September 2007

For Mai Linh Open Tour, Cambodia's only taxi company to run on a meter and charge by the distance, business in Phnom Penh has been a struggle.

Everyday Cambodians consider the cars too nice to ride in, even though the prices, all told are competitive. Then there's Phnom Penh's increasingly snarled traffic.

Drivers complain they get stuck with all the other cars, as motorcycle taxis and tuk-tuks pass them by. Gas is expensive, too.

"The company is aware of the gasoline price hike, but the company has equipped the taxis" as a hybrid, using both gasoline and natural gas, said Mai Linh company's marketing representative, Kang Heang Ratana.

The company says it earned a small profit in the first month of business, enough to drive forward.

Metered Taxi Cabs begin service

Friday, August 17, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Currently, the city of Phnom Penh is being served by 11 metered taxi cabs which were put into circulation since 09 August. The Cambodia Daily reported that the service of the metered taxi cabs is provided by the Vietnamese company Mai Linh Open Tour. Kang Heang Ratana, the marketing manager of this Vietnamese company, said that this is a new type of service provided in the city of Phnom Penh after an investment of $99,000 by the company to expand its services. Kang Heang Ratana said that the green roof taxi cabs will charge $1.50 for the first 2-kilometer trip, and each additional kilometer will cost $0.80, however the per-kilometer fare will be halved for trips longer than 25-kilometer. Kang Heang Ratana said: “When the wheels of the taxi move, we will charge a fare. This is the standard taxi service.” Mark Vanhemelryeck who started the Vantha Taxi company in 1996 said that this new service may have a hard time competing with tuk-tuks and moto-doop.