Myanmar to form public company to run bus service in Yangon

Myanmar's Yangon region government will form a public bus service company to run the service in Yangon under the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in a bid to reduce inconvenience to the public due to growing traffic jam, official media reported Tuesday.

The company, which will operate a modern bus service along main routes in the commercial city, will retain a 40-percent share of its own, while inviting 60-percent to the public.

The bus service will operate with i-pay system and a control system using the global Positioning System (GPS) and modern communication technology, the report said.

Of the three-phase project, the first phase would start within five months with 100 buses of 2010 model, it added.

At present, over 360 bus lines are operating with 3,500 buses in Yangon, transporting 2 million people a day.

Meanwhile, the Yangon municipal authorities are also planning to implement inner and outer circular road round the city project to reduce growing traffic jams.

The city circular road project, expected to commence in the next two years, called for an investment of about 3.5 billion U.S. dollars, inviting tender proposal from local entrepreneurs for the implementation.

Currently, most commuters travel on city circular train everyday as there sees reduced traffic congestion which has grown significantly since Myanmar government lifted car import restrictions in October 2011, prompting flood of cars in the city.

Statistics show that the number of registered vehicles operating in Myanmar stood at 4.2 million in the fiscal year 2013- 14, of which motorcycles accounted for 3.6 million.