Ratanakiri Residents Urge Authorities to Repair Severely Damaged Road

Residents in Kachon commune, Ratanakiri province, are appealing to authorities and relevant departments to repair a roughly 7-kilometer stretch of red gravel road connecting the commune to Vear Samnang district. The road is severely damaged with numerous potholes, causing significant difficulties for residents' travel, especially during the rainy season. Locals stated that the road's deterioration is exacerbated by heavy rainfall and the continuous movement of heavy sand-carrying trucks transporting sand from the Tonle Sesan river towards Banlung city. This situation makes travel difficult for cars and motorcycles, with some vehicles getting stuck in potholes and requiring tractors or oxcarts to be pulled out. Mom Kham, a motorcycle repairman along the road, told "Kampuchea Thmey" that sand-carrying business owners had previously attempted to fill potholes and depressions with small stones multiple times, but this did not make the road easier to travel. Instead, the small stones have frequently caused damage to motorcycle tires, leading to punctures. He added that the red gravel road is damaged in both the dry and rainy seasons, and he believes the primary factor is the daily traffic of heavy sand-carrying trucks. He urged business owners to consider alternative transportation routes to avoid further damage to public roads and requested the Ratanakiri Provincial Department of Rural Development to deploy machinery to level the ground and fill deep potholes to facilitate residents' travel. Similarly, Nek Sum, a local resident, told "Kampuchea Thmey" that the road is extremely difficult to travel due to deep potholes and muddy sections, particularly when it rains. He mentioned that his truck sometimes gets stuck in two or three places and he has to wait from morning until noon for villagers to help pull him out with an oxcart or tractor. In response, Kham Kabin, the commune chief of Kachon, acknowledged to "Kampuchea Thmey" that the current road conditions are indeed difficult, and even his own vehicle frequently gets stuck when traveling for work and meetings. He stated that the commune authorities have notified two sand-carrying businesses multiple times to temporarily suspend transportation. Subsequently, the truck owners have brought red gravel and small stones to fill potholes and depressions about two to three times, but the road remains difficult to travel. The commune chief clarified that the road is a project of the Ratanakiri Provincial Department of Rural Development and requested the department to deploy machinery for repair and improvement to ease residents' travel, as the road conditions are worsening daily. Currently, the road conditions between Vear Samnang and Kachon commune are causing difficulties in travel and transportation for residents, including vehicles transporting sick patients and cargo trucks. Residents hope that authorities and relevant departments will intervene for prompt and effective road repairs, and also review the traffic of heavy sand-carrying trucks to prevent further damage to public roads. "Kampuchea Thmey" was unable to obtain further comments from Mr. Iem Oeun, Director of the Ratanakiri Provincial Department of Rural Development, regarding this issue.