For many cities across the world, the best way to beat traffic congestion on the ground is to provide a transport solution in the air. With the Phnom Penh streets increasingly gridlocked during rush hours, a proposal has been made by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to build a skyline train in the city.
“The project will contribute to cutting down traffic congestion, which is part of the work that JICA has been doing,” said City Hall spokesman Met Measpheakdey, who added that it was too soon to know how much it would cost or who would pay for it.
JICA representatives told City Hall officials during a meeting on Wednesday that they would carry out a feasibility study in April on building an Automated Guideway Transit (AGT) line to link Monireth Boulevard, near the city centre, to Choam Chao district, out near the international airport. Like in a SkyTrain, Tram or Monorail system, an AGT line has vehicles traveling along a “guideway” or rail, mostly on rubber tires, although some have steel wheels.
“After they finish conducting the study, we will know how many millions will be spent, and whether the money for implementing the project or building the skyline for AGT will be a donation from Japan through JICA,” said Measpheakdey. A figure of $800 million was quoted in September, when the AGT idea was first raised.
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