PHNOM PENH, April 15 (Bernama-Xinhua): Hundreds of thousands of Cambodian migrant workers left the capital Phnom Penh since last week for their home provinces to celebrate the traditional New Year holiday, which started from Friday and ends on Monday.
Phnom Penh governor Khuong Sreng said that on the advice of Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, the Phnom Penh City Hall has arranged 345 city buses to ferry people from the capital to provinces and vice versa for free-of-charge from April 13-17, reported Xinhua.
"The move is to prevent private bus companies and taxi drivers from raising fees and to reduce travel costs for people who visit their hometowns during the New Year holiday period," he said during a visit to a city bus station.
The city bus fleet includes 98 Yutong "smart" buses donated by the Chinese government in July 2017.
Phnom Penh is home to approximately 2.28 million people, most of whom are migrants from various provinces. As they leave the city on the occasion, the whole city will be quiet, and most shops will be closed.
During the three days of the New Year celebrations, revelers prepare food, fruits and soft drinks on altars and light candles and incense sticks in order to greet the New Year's angel.
Besides, they offer food and money to Buddhist monks at pagodas to dedicate to their ancestors. - Bernama-Xinhua
