Joining the Chinese-invested Cambodian PPSHV Expressway Co., Ltd. in 2022, Chimann has mastered knowledge of expressway administration, transforming himself from an inexperienced employee into a supervisor for the expressway's Stung Hav Station 172.

PHNOM PENH, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Cheang Chimann, a 45-year-old Cambodian man, had known nothing about the expressway before, but his life had completely changed when he was offered a job and trained by Chinese experts on how to administer the expressway.

Joining the Chinese-invested Cambodian PPSHV Expressway Co., Ltd. in 2022, which is the operator of the 187-km Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway, Chimann has mastered expressway administration, transforming himself from an inexperienced employee into a supervisor for the expressway's Stung Hav Station 172.

The father of two children is a true example of technology and skill transfers from Chinese experts to Cambodian local talents at the freeway.

"My job is to administer the road, settle traffic accident cases, and make a claim for compensation for any damage caused to the road in any accidents," he told Xinhua on Saturday. "I'm happy to work here because this job has provided a better future for me."

Chimann said the job was very valuable because it gave him a specific skill that could feed him for life.

"I would like to thank the expressway operator for offering me the job here, which has given me an opportunity to work with highly experienced professionals," he said.

Speaking of the expressway's advantages, Chimann said it was a major route, linking the first economic powerhouse of the capital Phnom Penh with the second economic hub of the coastal province of Sihanoukville.

"For passengers, this expressway has provided a convenient, fast and safe travel option, reducing the travel period from five hours to two hours," he said.

Touch Dane, a 27-year-old toll collector at the Phnom Penh toll station of the Cambodian PPSHV Expressway Co., Ltd., said she had also received additional training in Chinese proficiency and computer.

"The company's management has paid attention to strengthening staff's capacities, so we have not only got jobs, but also opportunities for self-advancement," she told Xinhua.

"It (the expressway) has created a lot of jobs for Cambodian people, and it is a venue for skill transfers from Chinese expressway experts to Cambodian staff members," the mother of a child said.

Chen Ry, a 36-year-old patrol officer at the Cambodian PPSHV Expressway Co., Ltd., said his daily duties included road patrol, assisting broken-down vehicles, clearing obstacles on the road, inspecting equipment installed along the road, and maintaining traffic flow.

"We have gained a lot of experience in dealing with road congestion and traffic accidents because we have received training well from the company and Chinese superiors, and we can deal with these issues smoothly," he told Xinhua.

"Job at this expressway has provided better conditions for me, transforming my difficult livelihood in the past into a better one at the present," the father of two children said.

Ry said he has made a decent salary that enables him to support his family and send his children to school properly.

"This expressway is very good because it helps boost economic growth in Cambodia," he said.

Invested by the China Road and Bridge Corporation in the amount of 2 billion U.S. dollars and put into commercial operations in November 2022, the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway was the first-ever freeway in Cambodia.