After all those promises by the new SNV police chief, still same same ? Tourists vent on Trip Advisor about their experience:

13. Re: Crackdown of Illegal Foreign Riders/Drivers
today, 15:13

We were here over Christmas and new years 2015/16 and got pulled over multiple times on the motorbike. Usually had to pay $2-10usd for a bribe, got away a few times paying nothing. Seemed like if you were a foreigner you were getting flagged over. We just learned to only keep small riel in our pockets, hide your big bills. Or just don't stop, drive around them, they don't come after you. Got pretty fed up with it though, should be called Shakedownville. We sat at the golden lion roundabout one day for about 30-40min and watched them pull over 15-20 tourists, figured they were going full force because of the holidays. One of the times they pulled us over they started destroying our international drivers license and we became angry which of course cost us more money.

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic- ... #postreply

A few similar stories posted on the Sihanoukville expats fb page recently too. Sounds like business as usual for the boys in blue down in Sihanouk/Shits-ville...

so far not been pulled over, but then again i rarely pass any due to knowing where they hide out, i did come across some the other day but i think they were happy enough in the shade, there was a big smash up tonight in shv, seemed pretty bad, had a huge crowd of rubberneckers

Their station/hut at the Golden Lions roundabout is at the end of my street and I drive past them several times every day.

I have not been stopped since about November.

Most that I see that are stopped are asking for it like no helmet and most have no licence or International Driving Permit to show, thus deserve to be stopped.

How people think they have the right to drive a vehicle for which they are not licensed is beyond me.

Sold my moto a long time ago. From my place it's an easy 15 minute walk to the beach (either Sokha or Occheuteal),15 minutes to the market (Phsar Leu), no whinging about being pulled over unwarrantedly, no chance of killing myself or someone else if I make a mistake and drive pissed 1 night ( and we ALL do sometimes) and I can pretty much go anywhere I need to go that's too far to walk (ie Victory Hill or Otres 1) for $1 or so on the back of a moto, when and if I need to.
It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it works for me!

bad smash up outside kampong som casino near the lions tonight, must have been some dead bodies (couldnt see) there was a huge crowd of rubberneckers, the floor was covered in glass

bad smash up outside kampong som casino near the lions tonight, must have been some dead bodies (couldnt see) there was a huge crowd of rubberneckers, the floor was covered in glass

LaudJohn wrote: How people think they have the right to drive a vehicle for which they are not licensed is beyond me.

Maybe they read the news?

"Prime Minister HE continued his personal alterations to the recently implemented Land Traffic Law on Wednesday, announcing that drivers of standard motorbikes and scooters would no longer be required to have licenses."

"After discussions with Interior Minister Sar Kheng, Finance Minister Aun Porn Moniroth and Transport Minister Tram Iv Tek, Mr. HE decided to “completely stop requiring the license for driving the motorbike from 125cc down, from now onward,” it said.

“So people who drive motorbikes with 125cc or less don’t need to pay for the license and don’t need to have it at all.”"

https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/no-l ... es-104644/

MONEYBACKGUARANTEE wrote:

LaudJohn wrote: How people think they have the right to drive a vehicle for which they are not licensed is beyond me.

Maybe they read the news?

"Prime Minister HE continued his personal alterations to the recently implemented Land Traffic Law on Wednesday, announcing that drivers of standard motorbikes and scooters would no longer be required to have licenses."

"After discussions with Interior Minister Sar Kheng, Finance Minister Aun Porn Moniroth and Transport Minister Tram Iv Tek, Mr. HE decided to “completely stop requiring the license for driving the motorbike from 125cc down, from now onward,” it said.

“So people who drive motorbikes with 125cc or less don’t need to pay for the license and don’t need to have it at all.”"

https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/no-l ... es-104644/

that law change came in what, a week or so ago, tourists have been driving without licenses here for yonks

Still no clarification if that applies to foreigners or just Khmers!
What the Khmers need is better education on road safety and should have to pass a test on it to be able to drive a motorised vehicle, licence needed after or not! While some foreigners clearly should not be driving as they pick up the bad habits of the locals as well as their own, they probably or at least a bloody good percentage would have had some basic training and used or remember road sense in their own country! Never seen the police up past the market at that traffic light junction where everyone just ignores the lights, they would make a good income there and it would help safety which is what they are supposed to be there for. But pulling up for lights on in the day is easier I guess. Around 6 people die on the roads every day which at least some could probably have been prevented if they understood and used the rules and wore helmets!