Cambodia bans motorized vehicles from near Angkor Wat.

Cambodian authorities have just announced a ban on all vehicles on the main road in front of the Angkor Wat complex. This is an effort to reduce traffic congestion and protect the ancient temple structure from vibrations caused by passing vehicles.

The vehicle ban was officially announced this week on Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's personal Facebook page. The announcement clearly states that only pedestrians or cyclists are permitted to travel on the 300-meter stretch of road in front of Angkor Wat. However, this ban has actually been in effect for several years. According to the Cambodia Daily, this is only the official announcement of the ban; vehicles will still be allowed to travel on other roads within the archaeological site.

Tourists visiting Angkor Wat. Photo: Dennis Javis.

The Apsara Authority, the agency responsible for managing the site, has expressed concern about increasing pollution caused by old tourist buses and other vehicles circulating in the area. Furthermore, the temples are beginning to deteriorate due to tourists climbing on them, touching them, and vibrations from heavy vehicles passing by. To better manage the large number of visitors, access to many areas within the temple complex has been restricted. In 2015, a video outlining a code of conduct for visitors was also released, specifying prohibited behaviors within the temple grounds.

Angkor Wat is one of Southeast Asia's most popular tourist attractions, a recognized World Heritage site that attracts over 2 million visitors annually. Between January and March of this year alone, 700,000 tourists visited the site.

According to VNE