(Phnom Penh): Phnom Penh Capital Hall has begun implementing the new project, “Safe School Zones,” aimed at improving road safety and reducing vehicle speeds around school areas in the city on Monday (Apr. 6).
The project demonstrates the city’s strong commitment to creating safer streets and healthier communities as part of the Partnership for Healthy Cities, a prestigious global network of more than 70 cities committed to saving lives by preventing non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, and injuries.
On October 30, 2026, the city hosted the inaugural project workshop led by Penh Thearom, Vice Governor of Phnom Penh Capital Hall, with 60 participants from public works and transport, education, health, and law enforcement sectors.
During the event, 18 driver license point reduction machines and essential equipment were handed over to local authorities. Following the workshop, enforcement officers and local authorities received iRAP training on October 30–31, 2025, covering Star Rating for Schools (S4RS) assessments, as well as operating speed and traffic flow data collection. In parallel, a communication campaign was launched to raise awareness of speeding risks and promote adherence to the 30 km/h speed limit near schools.
Building on these initial efforts, and under the guidance of Khuong Sreng, Governor of Phnom Penh, the Safe School Zones project conducted a pre-assessment of six pilot schools in Phnom Penh. As a result, two primary schools, Cambodia Vietnam Friendship School and Hun Sen Chak Angre Primary/Secondary School, were selected as priorities and as pilot sites in creating safer environments for students. Action plans were developed for four pilot schools to serve as roadmaps and guidelines for implementing “Safe School Zones.”
The infrastructure improvements began on 7 February 2026 and were completed on 5 March 2026. Through the project’s support, various safety measures were installed, including speed limit and school zone signs, zebra crossings, safety cameras, refuge islands, rumble strips, and designated parking. 500 students and school staff from both pilot schools also received training on road safety to maintain and promote safe school zones. “Children have the right to an education and to travel to and from school without fear,” said Ek Khundoeurn, Phnom Penh Vice Governor, during the school road safety awareness workshop event.
Based on iRAP Star Ratings for School data in March 2026, Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship School’s rating increased significantly from 1.0 star to 4.2 star, while Hun Sen Chak Angre/Secondary Primary School’s rating improved from 1.0 star to 3.5 star, improving the safety of students’ and parents’ journeys to school.
To complement infrastructure improvements, local enforcement of road safety laws has been strengthened by increasing police speed limit checkpoints around targeted schools. A police speed reduction campaign was also launched from 01 March – 31 March 2026 to warn and educate drivers on the 30km/h driving speed limit in school zones.
As a result of enforcements implementation, a total of 30 checkpoints were set up at Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship School, Hun Sen Chak Angre Primary/Secondary School, Bakkheng Primary School and school areas in Phnom Penh. Based on police data from the speed reduction checkpoints supported by the project, between 1-31 March 2026, 248 cars were stopped and educated on adhering to the school zones’ driving speed limit of 30km/h.
As a result, the average driving speed in the pilot school zones has dropped significantly to 30km/h, compared to approximately 40km/h last month. This improvement is attributed to improved visibilities of traffic signs and increased police enforcement.
The project will serve as a pilot study for establishing safe school zones in Phnom Penh and act as a role model for further expansion and replications in other cities of Cambodia, as well as in cities across the global network seeking to improve road safety.
"Phnom Penh’s Safe School Zones initiative shows how cities can protect children and promote healthier, safer communities. This project reflects our mission to prevent injuries and build streets where everyone can live safely", said Farhad Ali, Deputy Regional Director, Partnership for Healthy Cities.
Since joining the Partnership for Healthy Cities in 2017, Phnom Penh has implemented several health-focused initiatives ranging from reducing sugary drink consumption, promoting healthier food environments, to addressing drink driving . The launch of Safe School Zones initiative marks the city’s continued commitment to create a safer and healthier urban future for its residents.
About The Partnership for Healthy Cities
The Partnership for Healthy Cities is a prestigious global network of more than 70 cities committed to saving lives by preventing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and injuries.
Supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies in partnership with WHO and the global health organization Vital Strategies, the initiative enables cities around the world to deliver a high-impact policy or programmatic intervention to reduce NCDs and injuries in their communities.
For more information
Visit https://cities4health.org
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