New bus service for Yangon
YANGON: Myanmar launched a new public transport system in its largest city yesterday, for the first time introducing regular bus lines, timetables and salaries for drivers in a move that could transform the lives of some five million Yangon city dwellers.
The reform is the largest publicfacing project with immediate impact on the city where country leader Aung San Suu Kyi won big in historic 2015 elections, and a major test for her ability to meet the skyhigh expectations of the public.
With parliamentary byelections looming in April, Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) has overhauled the chaotic network of some 4000 rickety public transport vehicles, half of them in use for more than 20 years, according to government data.
The new system will also bring down and coordinate the number of bus lines to 61 from 300.
The changes are aimed at reducing traffic and the commute time of some two million commuters who have complained the buses are overcrowded, schedules unpredictable and driving unsafe.