The installation of automatic detection cameras and road weighing pads by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport to detect overloaded vehicles and other traffic violations continues on roads throughout the Kingdom. The ministry discussed the system with tech companies and relevant institutions during a meeting on the improvement project of National Road 5 on May 29. Heang Sotheayuth, director of the ministry's Department of Information Technology and Public Relations, told The Post on May 31 that representatives discussed installing the system on roads under construction. “We use cameras to detect vehicles breaking the law by capturing number plates and we use automatic weighing pads that reveal the weight of vehicles crossing them. The whole process is automatic and police are immediately alerted to infringements,” he said. “In the past, authorities relied on weigh stations to check overloaded vehicles, but truck drivers could evade them. So, this technology will remedy this and automatically detect vehicles breaking [the Traffic law],” he said. He said that since the ministry adopted the technology, some national roads have installed it. The system has been tested, while many other national roads under the project are planning to install it. “Although the technology has been installed on some roads, it is only in the testing stage. The system is autonomous, but testing ensures that it meets expectations. So, before the system is formally used, changes will be made to meet local conditions,” he said. Sotheayuth said the ministry has studied the technology since 2019 with 12 tech companies for use in Cambodia. Kong Sovann, a public health specialist and director of International Safety Fund Programme, said on May 31 that inspections for overloaded vehicles were critical. He said new technology is necessary for effective traffic management and that preventing overloaded vehicles on roads contributed to less road maintenance and savings to the national burse. He continued that the system would prompt potential offenders to think about the risks of overloading vehicles. “When we have [this] system in place, we have to spread the word – that’s important. This work is not only for transport companies, but we also have to instruct officials so they can perform their duties transparently and seriously,” Sovann said.