Phnom Penh's residents may not know it yet, but Cambodia's capital is geared towards cyclists.

Phnom Penh is one of those cities that people either love or hate. I, for one, love it – but there are things about it that get to me. The availability and variety of food, the relaxed feel to the people, the character of the architecture and a charm that is hard to put a finger on are all things that endear this city to me. The over-abundance of girlie bars, noise pollution, traffic and the lack of good public open spaces are things that at times tip my feelings in the other direction.

One thing I love is that I can get on a bicycle, and after 15 minutes of pedaling, be out of the city. In some directions, after 30 minutes of pedaling, I can be in the countryside. The city is also, in some respects, cyclist-friendly. It's flat, there are usually security guards to watch your bike when you go into a supermarket or bank, and the weather is generally quite predictable.

If we ignore for a minute the fact that the majority of Cambodians regard bicycles as transport for the poor, the “cyclistisation” of Phnom Penh is a shoe-in because you have to travel at least 60km to find a hill. Also, there isn't much of an issue with parking and a quality lock will deter most thieves.

So what would be the biggest barrier preventing this city from claiming its cyclist-friendly credentials? One word: traffic. As the majority of newcomers to the capital will tell you, cycling takes some getting used to because of the “do whatever you like, but if you crash into someone you have to cough up some cash” system.

People arriving here from developed countries stare in disbelief at the chaos of motos, cyclos, tuk-tuks, cars, coaches and lorries that narrowly miss pile-ups at just about every intersection. One-way streets become two-way, pavements are regarded as short cuts and traffic lights are ignored. In the middle of this mayhem is the cyclist, who is regarded – if at all – as a third-class citizen by many – and a target by some.

Thankfully, from a cyclist’s point of view that is about to change. What few Hummer drivers seem to realise is that their days of lording it over the rest of us are numbered. The fear of global warming, a mass of green policies and a loathing of motor transport has changed the face of many cities worldwide and it’s coming to a neighbourhood near you.

So how do the city’s bureaucrats in the developing world plan for a greener future and safer, less polluted streets? Is the bicycle going to dominate tomorrow’s world and if so how will cyclists be protected from marauding motorists with a death wish?

The answer: check out the order from chaos created in most major capitals around the Western world. There, strictly policed bus, taxi and cycle lanes have cordoned rights of way and other drivers have to buy special permits to ride city streets.

So how would that work in Phnom Penh, where I live, cycle and work? Fortunately, the city’s grid design could be regarded as purpose-built for its "cyclist-isation".

The first and most obvious place where a change in traffic management is required would be Sisowath Quay. By making it a one-way street running south to north towards the Japanese bridge, then making one-third of the width of the road a cycle path, it would greatly aid traffic flow, reduce noise and air pollution – and make it, rightly, the kind of place tourists would be happy to walk, linger over a coffee at a pavement café or enjoy a candelight dinner without their view of the Tonle Sap being obscured by parked SUVs and trucks belching noxious fumes. It works during Bonn Om Toeuk.

Traffic wanting to travel in the opposite direction would use Norodom Boulevard via Wat Phnom. Alternatively, one of the other parallel secondary streets between these two major roads could be used as a one-way street running north to south.

The mess that occurs at the intersection of Sothearos and Sihanouk boulevards near NagaWorld could also be improved by making the stretch of Sothearos from Sihanouk to Sisowath a one-way street flowing in the direction of Sihanouk Boulevard thus forcing traffic to go the other way to use the road past NagaWorld and on to Sisowath.

By limiting motorised traffic on a few selected smaller streets running between Sisowath and Monivong, a safer and more convenient thoroughfare for cyclists could be created. Monivong itself is actually not a bad street for cycling as it is wide enough and traffic signals are generally obeyed, so it makes for fairly stress-free cycling.

Ideally, the city could also create a cyclist-friendly tourist loop running from Sisowath to Tuol Sleng and the Russian Market, then back towards Central Market and Wat Phnom, returning to Sisowath.

That’s just an off-the-cuff example of the possible way in which the city could be carved up and made more cyclist, and tourist, friendly. The greatest challenge to the idea would be to get people to follow the rules, persuade the police to punish people who don’t and change the mindset of those who look down on cyclists as second-class citizens. It might also take the strain off the accident and emergency departments in the city’s hospitals that patch and mend the victims of road accidents on an all-too-frequent basis. A neighbour of mine had to have his leg amputated recently after he attempted to travel in the wrong direction down a one-way street.

Recreational cycling was an alien concept only a few years ago. It has now started to take hold in a small way in the capital. For example, when the first Angkor Bike Race was held a few years ago, there were only a few Cambodian competitors. In 2009, the fourth annual race was held and at least one-third of the participants were Cambodian.

Another good sign for the future is the way the wealthier section of the Khmer community is taking on cycling as a pastime activity. What starts as a health kick could grow into a trend and become an everyday fact of life in next to no time.

A public bike hire scheme or free bike loan system similar to the Green Bangkok concept is possibly a little far-fetched at present, but given the availability of motorcycle parking that can double as bike parking, Phnom Penh is already set up for cyclists, it just doesn’t know it.