ICC-Angkor applauds Apsara’s bicycle lane project

The International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor (ICC-Angkor) welcomed the Apsara National Authority’s initiative to construct a bicycle lane at the Angkor Archaeological Park.

The purpose of constructing the bicycle lane was to protect the safety of travellers, the environment, and the cultural value of the countryside heritage.

“The experts had applauded the initiative of the Apsara National Authority in preparing the bicycle lane and considering the safety of the travelling public, students, and tourists, and protecting the environment,” the Apsara National Authority said on its Facebook page.

Authority spokesman Long Kosal told The Post on Sunday that ICC-Angkor acknowledged that the lane would benefit the public, and provide safety for students on their daily commute.

Also, the bicycle lane would enable tourists to visit the temples and communities around the historical park.

“[As] tourists [cycle], they can see the houses and people’s way of life in the community. The lane will also have minimal impact on the environment because we have to care about the park,” Kosal said.

The Apsara National Authority said the bicycle lane would be constructed to ease the traffic jam on the main road.

The lane would be built 25m from the main road, and run parallel with it, but the distance could change according to the terrain.

Apsara National Authority deputy director-general Yith Chandaroth said: “The bicycle lane was built for light vehicles, which would not affect the soil.”

He said the 23km bicycle lane would be 2m-wide and stretch to Angkor Wat and Kravan Temple. It will then continue to the South of Banteay Kdei Temple before turning North of Ta Prohm Temple and heading to Takeo Temple.

Apsara National Authority said the project was still under a pilot study with only 300m of bicycle lane constructed. The rest would be built after the ICC-Angkor meeting, which would take place in mid-December.

The meeting would be attended by the Minister of Culture and Fine Arts Phoeurng Sackona and also the president of Apsara National Authority.

ICC-Angkor co-chairs, the Japanese and French ambassadors, as well as representatives from Unesco, which acts as the committee’s secretariat, would also attend.

An ICC-Angkor statement released on Sunday said its experts would visit the location of some projects in the Angkor Archaeological Park and Sambor Prei Kuk archaeological site in Kampong Thom from December 3-9.

Experts in sustainable development and a working group from the Ministry of Tourism would also visit Tonle Sap Lake, and prepare a master plan for tourism development in Siem Reap.