The Cycle of Life

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Cyclos (pronounced seek-lor) used to be a common form of transport around the city, back in the days when the country was undeveloped, had little infrastructure and when few could afford a car or even a motorbike. I remember when I first came to Cambodia in 1992, cyclos were as common as motorbikes and they were seen everywhere on the streets of Phnom Penh.

As the country has said goodbye to it's war torn past and opened its borders to foreign investment, the economy is now booming and there has been a massive influx of private investors and tourists. Cambodia has become an NGO capital of the world, and the number of expats working here now have tripled in the last few years. Recently, tuk-tuks have been introduced from neighbouring Thailand. Together, this has paved the way for more motor vehicles on the road which means that unfortunately the days of getting around by cyclo are numbered.

Although they are full of character, the Cyclo drivers are generally among the poor that have come to Phnom Penh from the provinces in search of a better life. As they are uneducated and not skilled to complete any other work, their future looks bleak because the need for cyclos is quickly becoming obsolete.

The Cyclo Centre was set up a few years ago initially to provide a network for Cyclo drivers and support services such as medical assistance, education and vocational training. But as changes are occuring, in time what will be left is a small number of cyclos to operate as a tourist attraction.

As a result, the goal of the Cyclo Centre is to run projects to relocate Cyclo drivers back to their homes in the countryside and equip them with the skills necessary in order to earn a sustainable living in their environment, which mainly includes agricultural and farming work. The centre is currently sourcing funding in order to successfully implement these relocation projects.

As I have a love for Cyclos, I approached The Cyclo Centre with the idea of creating a book and putting together a photo exhibition in order to raise funds for the centre and help support the relocation project for the Cyclo drivers. Though as my time spent here is sporadic, it will be a work in progress for a while.The photos posted here are just a couple that I took today whilst riding a cyclo with my compact digital...I did have my DSLR with me but left the memory card at home! D'oh! I'll be taking some better pictures hopefully this week, otherwise it will be when I get back from my trip.

Cyclo Stats

• In 2004, there were over 5000 cyclo drivers in Phnom Penh. The numbers have dwindled and are currently sitting at around 1500.
• A cyclo driver earns on average less than US$2 a day.
• Only a small percentage of cyclo drivers have attended high school.
• Average number of dependants a cyclo driver has is 4-5.
• More than 60%!o(MISSING)f cyclo drivers either smoke or drink heavily and these habits are fuelled by low quality of life.
• The proportion of cyclo drivers that are living and sleeping on the street has risen by over 20%!i(MISSING)n the last 4 years due to increases in rental prices and less financial security.

As you can see, the stats are quite staggering and unfortunately while the economy is prospering, for the Cyclo drivers, life is becoming harder...Hopefully over time the cyclo drivers will be educated or skilled in making a living through other means and turn around their quality of life. So in the meantime if you visit Phnom Penh, before you automatically jump onto a moto or a tuk-tuk, reconsider and take a cyclo instead! They offer a more vivid approach of seeing the city, they're environmentally friendly and the money you spend will help the Cyclo Centre in reaching their goal.

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Photos

who will be my next target?
a cyclo driver eagerly awaits a passenger at Psar Thmey (Central Market)

makeshift lights
i love how resourceful the people are, using discs as reflective lights.