Yangon has suffered the traffic congestion.
Two days ahead of launching a new bus system, the Yangon Region Government promised swift action against those who violate the rules of the system, including overcharging.
At a press conference in Yangon yesterday, Yangon Region Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein warned against breaking the rules, including taking bus fares higher than permitted.
“We will revoke the permission to operate in the system if drivers and conductors break the rules, including getting bus fares higher that the set rate, and those buses would be probably confiscated,” said the Chief Minister.
The new system, called the Yangon Bus Service (YBS), was formed to help reduce traffic jams that currently plague Yangon and to streamline the bus system, according to the Yangon Region Government.
The new system will launch Monday with 61 bus lines serving the city’s 5.2 million residents. New vehicles and a digital payment system will follow.
Bus lines currently plying routes will be abolished and replaced by new bus lines which are part of the system of public-owned bus lines in which the government will be partial stakeholders.
The bus system is comprised of 20 companies, all of which applied to the Yangon Region Transport Supervision Board to take part in the new system which will serve the city with more than 3,700 buses charging a fare of between 100-300 kyats, depending on distance.
Volunteers will help advise the public on the new bus lines, while Yangon based companies will also contribute to
the launching of the new bus system by changing office hours.
Some companies offered have to transport to travelers who find themselves in difficulty during the transition period.
More than 200,000 people are currently relying on bus lines in Yangon, which has a population of six million.
On 7 February last year, the first ever BRT buses were unveiled in Yangon as a privately owned company.
Ko Moe