Some 80,000 vehicles used the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway during the three days of the new year holiday.Five traffic accidents with four injuries were recorded but there were no fatalities, said Heang Sotheayuth, Director-General of Technology and Public Relations of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport. Sotheayuth said 21,900 vehicles were recorded on December 30, 28,900 vehicles on December 31 and 33,000 vehicles on January 1. Sotheayuth said the number of vehicles recorded was more than during the same period in 2022. He added that traffic was congested at the toll gates in Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh. “The congestion was due to two factors. Firstly, vehicle owners do not use ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) cards as a convenient way to pass through the toll booth and use the on-site payment options, and secondly, some vehicle owners do not understand how to use the ETC or the pay toll option,” he said. He asked vehicle owners to understand the use of ETC, or ANPR, a technology prepaid system that makes it easier and faster to pass through toll gates. “The ministry encourages people to use the ETC or ANPR, a prepaid system that facilitates fast and hassle-free crossing at the toll gate,” Sotheayuth said.Phan Rim, a spokesman for the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, urged motorists to be careful when driving on the espressway to avoid traffic accidents. The country director of Asia Injury Prevention (AIP), Kim Pagna, expressed his concern about the highway traffic accidents that continue to cause injuries to people despite precautions taken. He said that to prevent traffic accidents on the expressway, the authorities and the expressway operator must educate people about speeding and install speed cameras in high-risk areas. “We need to conduct a study of the expressway to determine the unsafe sections and place signs to inform motorists. I also urge stakeholders to prevent drivers who have been involved in traffic accidents from using the expressway,” he said.