With a shrill piercing whistle and constant shouted instructions to motorists and pedestrians alike, Ry Kouk controls one of Phnom Penh’s busiest intersections. He and his light wand are fixtures of streets 271 and 506.
People crossing street 271 near the Boeung Tompun traffic lights all recognise his contributions to easing congestion in front of the bakery where he is employed as a guard.
Chan Cheata, who often passes by the intersection, used to be startled by his barked instructions, but says he does a great job.
“The first time he lifted his traffic wand and commanded me to stop – I was terrified by his stern voice and facial expression. His stern demeanor is one reason he is so effective at managing traffic though,” she said.
Kouk gets up at 4am and dresses for work. He puts on his uniform and ties his light wand to his belt. Finally, he dons a pair of immaculate white gloves and climbs on his bicycle to begin the long commute from Siem Reap commune of Kandal province’s Kandal Stung district.
Kouk explained that he could not bicycle 20km to work each day, so he puts his bike on a tuk-tuk and catches a ride to the Stung Meanchey Bridge, where he begins his ride. He arrives at the bakery by 6.30am.
“I control the traffic at the three busiest parts of the day, or when there is especially heavy congestion. Then I return to my work as a security guard,” he explained.
He said he had been employed as a guard there for almost 20 years. His boss encouraged his traffic management, as it was better for all drivers – including his customers.
“Some people think I am too strict, but I am just taking my responsibility seriously. I am not overly harsh, but I am more than happy to warn speeding drivers to slow down! Sometimes I have to raise my voice to make sure everybody can hear my instructions,” he told The Post.
“Some people get angry and shout at me, but they need to understand that I am providing a service to everyone on the road, and won’t favour anybody over anyone else. Tooting your horn does not give you the right of way! In addition, people ought to slow down, and pay attention to using their turn signals,” he added.
Sovanna Rea, a 19-year-old bakery staff member has known Kouk for many years. She said his serious visage belied his gentle nature.
Generally, people obey his instructions, like when he blocks one side of the road to allow the other lanes to move. Any accidents that took place were due to people disregarding his instructions, he said.
He said that even though some motorists failed to stop when told to, he was not concerned about his safety. After almost two decades, he was confident that his experience would protect him.
Each day, he pays 30,000 riel to transport his bicycle from his home village to reacheStung Meanchey before going on with his bike to his work.
“On most days, many kind commuters will give me one or two thousand riel, so I generally earn around 50,000 per day. This means I can pay for my commute and still have 20,000 to give to my wife. This also means my salary of around $120 can be saved for other purchases,” he said.
The busy guard, who provides a safe and efficient commute to hundreds of people each day, explained that he would not ride a motorcycle as he was concerned for his safety.
“I won’t take the risk of riding a motorcycle. What would happen if I was in an accident and was injured – or worse? Who would feed my wife?” he asked.
Nuon Srey Pha, 42, Kouk’s wife, sells small goods from in front of the couple’s home. They have a son who is a construction worker and a daughter who works in a garment factory. She said that she knew about her husband’s extra duties in traffic management, but had never seen him performing these duties.
She worries about his safety, and confirmed that he would not ride a motorcycle after once having a near miss with a truck. This was why he was so passionate about road safety and why he was constantly warning drivers to be careful.
She appreciated her husband’s contribution to society by easing traffic congestion, and was pleased that grateful travellers often tipped him for his service.
She said that when she watched her husband preparing his old bicycle for another long commute, she suggested he replace it or borrow from the bank and buy a motorcycle.
“His bicycle is so old that sometimes I get angry and want to smash it. It often breaks down, and he has probably spent enough on repairs that by now he could have bought a new one,” she said.
Kouk said that sometimes when he was riding his bicycle home and saw a traffic jam, he helped to ease the congestion for a while before resuming his cycling.
“Sometimes I help direct traffic in Boeung Tumpun area, but sometimes I am too tired to stop and help,” he said.
He said he would not stop working as a guard, as he was the main breadwinner in his family.
As a traffic controller, he often sees drivers looking at their phones and not focusing on the road. This is one of the most common causes of traffic accidents, he thinks.
Neither Thy Visal, director of road traffic police, or Boran Satya, deputy director of the road traffic safety department, replied to an enquiry from The Post as to whether or not his unofficial policing of the busy intersection was something that should be encouraged, or if it was illegal.
