2

When he was barely a teenager in 7th Standard, Aung La – the front man of the band The Reason - learned how to drive.

“My first car was a 1986 Honda Accord,” said Aung La, whose pop-rock album “Mar Tih Kar” (Content) recently broke through.

“I bought that car according to how much I could afford at the time, but the car was so worn out that I had to keep taking it to a workshop,” he said.

“Although that disappointed me a lot, in the end I still made a profit when I sold it.”

Sometimes, he said, he even had to repair his car on the way to his own show.

“The car would break down in the middle of the street and I had to repair it on my way to the concert.”

The car Aung La currently owns is a 2002 Toyota Altezza, which he bought from his friend in 2011.

He chose it, he said, because he could afford it and because he wanted a car that stood out in Yangon.

When the car arrived, Aung La said he was so

happy that he drove it all over the city.

He never uses a driver, he said, even when he has to travel to other cities - he prefers to be in the steering wheel.

Aung La said he dreams of owning many cars in the future or at least regularly changing models.

For the moment, he is satisfied with altering its interior and decorating the outside of his car.

“I did the Photoshop design for this car myself and printed out the sticker for the shop,” he said.

“I do that once every six months … for now at least I can ride this car with a new outfit,” he grinned.

Aung La’s preference is for luxurious cars rather than sports cars. However, his true dream car – and the one he feels best matches his personality - is a Dodge Challenger, mostly because of its big engine.

“I could even race [that] car if I wanted to,” he said.

“I think its design really suits a rocker.”

Editors:Myo Lwin, Jessica Mudditt

Writers: Yu Yu Maw, Shwegu Thitsar, Aye Nyein Win, Shwe Yee Saw Myint, Myo Lwin, Jessica Mudditt, Douglas Long, Maria

Danmark, Htar Htar Khin, Cherry Thein, Shwegu Thitsar, Nandar Aung, Nuam Bawi, Myat Nyein Aye

Cover photo: Ko Taik.Model: Pyi Phyo

Photographers:Kaung Htet, Ko Taik, Aung Htay Hlaing, Boothee, Maria Danmark,

Thiri Lu

Cover & Layout Design:Tin Zaw Htway, Ko Pxyo

For enquiries and feedback: myolwin@myanmartimes.com.mm

jess.mudditt@gmail.com

A Myanmar TimesSpecial ReportWheels 2013

Behind the steering wheel: singer Aung la

ByNuam Bawi and Aye Nyein Win

Aung La redesigns the outside of his car every six months. Pic: Thiri Lu

Our thanks go to the owner of the 1969 Holden Premier, Nyan Minn, who kindly lent us his car for the James Dean-inspired cover shoot.

3

Creating cute car nicknames

THE arrival of tens of thousands of imported cars hasn’t only given rise to more traffic on Yangon’s streets. A slew of new nicknames have entered Myanmar’s car market lexicon, with brokers coming up with simplified names as a

substitute for lengthy makes and models that can be difficult to read or pronounce.

The Myanmar words for gold fish, frog, cow, rat and elephant head are just a few of the creative names that have originated from Hanthawaddy Car Trading compound, Myanmar’s biggest car market which last month was relocated to Min Ye Kyaw Swa compound in

Yangon under protest. Several dealers and

brokers said that cars are given simple Myanmar names for the convenience of all involved in the multi-million dollar industry when they roll off their shipping containers into the country, with most coming from Japan.

“The head of [1998-1999 Toyota Caldinas] look like a bird perched on a tree,”

explained U Nyein Chan. Since the models began arriving in Myanmar around 2005, they have been referred to as “parrots” (Kyet-tu-yway).

Although a taxi driver called Tony Myo told The Myanmar Times that the nicknames are not used by the general public but are created by car salespeople with weak skills in reading English, a car dealer said he recently heard a government minister using a nickname to

refer to a car.Along with shwe-

nga (goldfish) or

phapyouk (frog) for the 2000 Toyota Corolla Mark-ii or 1999 Mitsubishi Pajero respectively, the glossary of names has expanded due to the influx of new vehicles into Yangon after the government announced its replacement scheme for outdated cars back in 2011.

Ko Min Min, who has spent 20 years working in car yards, said there are at least 20 well-known nicknames for imported cars.

The 2006 and 2007 Nissan Ad Van is known as nwar tha-pauk (baby cow), while the 2001 Toyota Caldina is set-yoke (robot). The 2000 Toyota

Town Ace light truck is a pa-zin gaung

(grasshopper).One of

Yangon’s most

popular cars, the Chery QQ, boasts the most nicknames, with various models known as the ah-loo (potato), set-pya-khwat (soap dish), ja-poe (bug) or kywet (the rather unflattering rat).

Suzuki wagon cargo light trucks are called Wat gaung (pig heads) because they look like the head of a pig, said U Nyein Chan.

Khway gaung (dog head) refers to 1988-1989 Toyota Coronas. They are not to be confused with the 1992 and 1995 Toyota Coronas known as sin gaung (elephant head).

Old model Volkswagens have three names, depending on the size of their rear lights – there is the large sin-khwa (elephant foot), the mid-sized myin-Khwa (horse foot) and the small sait-khwa (goat foot).

But four cars that have recently become popular in Myanmar, the Toyota Vitz, Honda Fit, Toyota Belta and Suzuki Swift, have missed out on nicknames. Car dealers say that it is because the names are already simple enough themselves.

ByMyo Lwin

The cow - a.k.a Nissan AD station wagon. Pic: Ko Taik

4

Beat on the street: Are Yangon’s traffic jams driving you crazy?

Ma Ohnmar May Maung, 18,resident of Thaketa township

“I study chemistry at East Yangon University in Tarwa and it normally takes me 45 minutes to an hour to get there from home, and it takes three hours to get downtown from university. I face traffic jams everyday; mostly at Thanlyin Bridge because it is a very narrow road which allows just one car to pass at a time. If a car or bus breaks down on the bridge, passengers have to wait about 15 minutes to get past – and no one jumps out to help move the vehicles out of the way. I can’t understand it. I see these kinds of things everywhere in Yangon – it drives me crazy. Taking the train is also a waste of time. I don’t think there are enough bus lines or buses. On my way to and from school I feel so uncomfortable because the buses are so crowded and the roads are rough. I hope the government or private sector will increase the number of buses on the roads as well as introducing more comfortable buses.”

U Mg Mg Htwe, 45,a taxi driver from Thingangyun township

“I’ve been driving a taxi for 10 years and up until two years ago my business was really good because there weren’t huge traffic jams. Serious trouble for taxi drivers began in the middle of last year, particularly at Hledan, Shwe Gone Taing and Tamwe townships. Another bad place for traffic jams is Inya Road, because it’s affected by Hledan. Time is very important to taxi drivers – but we are wasting it at traffic jams. How can I make money as a taxi driver? I change my route to avoid Hledan, Shwe Gone Taing, which means covering a longer distance and I need to ask for a higher fare, which passengers dislike. In the downtown area, the lack of car parking creates traffic jams. Sometimes I can’t stop myself from shouting out in anger while driving around there. I know the municipal authorities are in the process of creating more space for parked cars, but there are still roadside stalls in car parking spaces. I think it’s disgusting! I hope the traffic jams will lessen after the Hledan overpass is finished - I just hope the traffic jams don’t move elsewhere. And I don’t know why the project at Shwe Gone Taing hasn’t started yet.”

Daw Yin Yin Mon, 32,an accountant from Hlaing township

“I’m amazed by how much road conditions have improved since last year. The change happened so quickly. But everyone, everywhere, faces traffic jams now. It takes me 90 minutes to travel from home to downtown. I want to cry out on the bus because it takes at least 20 minutes to pass through an intersection. Every morning, I see huge queues of buses and cars in Hledan, starting from Tadarphyu bus stop (which is three bus stops away from Hledan intersection). And sometimes I see girls and women getting dizzy and fainting because they can’t stand up on such crowded, hot buses for a long time. Buses are very crowded during peak hours. Even if I take a taxi, there’s no escaping the traffic jams. I try to keep my mind strong by talking and laughing, but the need to reach my office on time stresses me out. If I am late, the owner will dock my pay. Traffic problems aren’t considered a valid excuse for arriving late! Along with my work responsibilities, I also have a baby to care for and a house to keep in order. I start work at 9am so I have to leave home at 7:30am to get to my office on time. I am so disappointed by the impact traffic now has on my life.”

Ma Yemon, 23,a reporter

“I was spending K800 every day on bus fares, so I moved from South Dagon to 46th Street be closer to my office downtown. South Dagon was really far away and the Number 39 special bus wasn’t available, so I had to take two buses to reach work and it took me one-and-a-half-hours. After comparing the cost of moving to a hostel downtown and the bus fees, I decided to relocate. The most annoying part of commuting is that the old and small Dina model buses never stop at the same place, even though it’s meant to stop at the bus stop - it’s really time-consuming. Another thing is that some dishonest people on the Dina buses harass female passengers and it makes me crazy. I wish the Dina bus didn’t exist.”

Ma Pan Ei Phyu, 18,a chemistry student at East Yangon University and a resident of Thaketa township

“I have to take two buses to reach to my university and the roundtrip fares cost K600 a day. I took the ferry in the past but it took longer so I switched to the bus. During university holidays I attend computer classes in Myaynigone, which costs K300 for the round trip. There are constant traffic jams at intersections in Myaynigone. One day, the bus I was on broke down and we weren’t offered a refund on our tickets. I think that was unusual though. When we got off the bus, it was so crowded that other buses weren’t stopping and so I had to take a taxi. But I arrived late and missed my practical class. I’ll never forget that.”

By Shwegu Thitsar and Yu Yu Maw

5

ONE of the most significant transformations in Yangon during the past year is the emergence of a staggering number of car showrooms, car yards and of course the unprecedented range of newer models on the streets.

More than 100,000 vehicles have been imported since the government launched the car substitution scheme in September 2011, which allowed older cars to be replaced with newer models. In July 2012, permission was given to individuals wishing to import the latest models.

According to Farmer Auto car sales centre, there are an estimated 200 sales centres in Yangon, the majority of which continue to sell second-hand cars. A handful of showrooms offer four or five brand new models.

The size of the average car yard varies from 30 to 300 vehicles. Japanese brands such as Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Suzuki continue to dominate the market.

Chief executive officer of the Farmer Auto Car Sales Centre, Dr Soe Tun told The Myanmar Times:

“We’ve heard that certain foreign car companies are preparing to open showrooms in Yangon. That’s good for customers, because it will increase competition. At the moment, showrooms are only allowed to import a car if they can present a legal document stating that the car is being imported to replace an older vehicle. Models are limited to those manufactured between 1998 and 2008,” Dr Soe Tun said.

Although the government gave the green light in July 2012 to allow individuals to import cars models from 2007 (or newer), it did extend the same rights to retailers.

“Sales centres get around not being allowed to import cars made after 2007 by buying cars privately from owners in Yangon,” Dr SoeTun said.

“In other countries, anyone can buy an imported car. We should consider this as an option – it would help both buyers and sellers because the entire process would be more straightforward,” Dr Soe Tun added.

Car importers and sales centres in Myanmar are

pointing the finger at the instability of government policies concerning imports. Car sales dropped significantly during October, November and December 2012 following a government announcement that changes would be made to insurance and freight costs in 2013.

In January, the government allowed cars made between 1998 and 2008 to be imported – in 2012, car imports were restricted to models made between 1997 and 2007.

“This caused the prices of second hand Japanese cars to increase a little - that’s why 2007 and 2008 models were strong sellers in March. Our company also saw sales gain strength, with an average of 10 cars sold every day. Car prices also rose by an average of K2 million ($2273),” said Dr Soe Tun.

It normally takes a month for an individual to

complete the formalities necessary to import a 2008 model (or newer) from Japan. Many people prefer to speed up the process by buying from a showroom under the name of the original importer. Despite the risks, many are content to forgo legal documentation proving ownership because it involves an additional cost of K1 million ($1136) to apply for registration.

“Car companies in Myanmar face many difficulties. Firstly, a company has to deposit US$100,000 with the government and provide a surety of K300 million (US$341,000). Then there are annual fees of $900. Obviously this is all very costly. There are too many restrictions and rules,” said U Htay Aung, the chairperson of Myanmar Motor Manufacturers and Traders Association.

“We can only sell cars that fall within the old-for-new car substitution scheme. We can’t sell any other cars. Some of the old car owners came to us to order a new car from Japan via our office,” U HtayAung

was quoted as saying in the March edition of B to B Management Magazine.

In July 2012 the government announced that anyone 18 years or older with a national identity card could open a foreign exchange account at a bank and import a car made in 2007 or more recently.

Entrepreneurial dealers hired locals to act as proxies by opening an account and receiving a payment of K30,000 to K40,000 from the car company.

U Htay Aung estimates that only 10 percent of people who open an account with a foreign currency bank are genuine

importers.“In light of this reality,

the government should allow commercial entities to import cars directly so that we can cut out the middle man. Unfortunately, requests for permission continue to be declined,” U Htay Aung said.

“Under the current

regulation, those who submitted their old cars for substitution can import models between 1998 and 2008, but nothing newer. So if a person wants a newer model, they can sell their permit at the black market price and apply to the government to import a more recent model as an individual importer. There shouldn’t be such a thing as limiting the models and fixing the price for old car import permits. There will soon be foreign companies entering Myanmar and the regulations should not hurt local traders,” U Nyi Nyi Zaw said.

lifting the lid on imported cars

“only 10 percent of people who open an account with a foreign currency bank are

genuine importers.”

ByNandar Aung and Myo Lwin

Sakura car showroom in Yangon. Pic: Boothee

6

THERE are a number of rumours about why motorcycles were banned in Yangon in 2003, as well as mumblings that change is on the horizon. One version about the ban is that a person on a motorbike made a threatening gesture to a military general; another is that a motorbike rider distributed pro-democracy leaflets, and the third is that a general’s son was killed while riding a motorbike. There are no doubt others also.

Unfortunately for motorbike enthusiasts and those who believe that the reintroduction of motorbikes would do wonders for traffic congestion, there are no plans to lift the ban any time soon.

U Myo Lwin, deputy director of the Road and Bridges Department of Yangon City Development Committee told The Myanmar Times that the rule will continue indefinitely, while an officer from Yangon traffic police department, who did wish to provide his name, said motorcyclists were involved in many accidents and criminal activity before the ban was introduced in municipal Yangon.

In fact, the authorities appear more determined than ever to penalise those who breach the rule. According to a spokesperson from the Yangon region traffic police department, motorcycles are being confiscated by police if they are being ridden in a banned area. In 2012, more than 800 motorcycle riders were fined for riding in restricted areas.

Ko Moe, 24, lives in north Dagon township, which allows motorbikes in specific areas, said the bus is slow, uncomfortable and not worth the money. So he bought a motorcycle and rides it around his locality. He said he considers himself lucky not to have been caught once in the last two years – his uncle was and paid a 20,000 kyat fine. The penalty for not wearing a helmet is K10,000.

Many motorbike owners are also reluctant to pay registration fees of K50,000 to their local traffic police station, so they opt to risk paying a fine of K50,000 if caught.

Only government-related officials may use motorcycles in the Yangon municipal area. They are not allowed to carry passengers and must wear motorbike helmets. Nor may motorcyclists from out of town ride their bikes into Yangon.

An editor of a publishing house from East Dagon township said he doesn’t want to see motorcycles re-introduced, because he is already concerned about the dangers motorcycles pose to the public. He said that he often sees motorcyclists without helmets and driving unsafely. However

he also added that buses are responsible for a large number of injuries and conceded that a motorcycle taxi service would be an affordable and convenient option for many city dwellers.

The traffic police official said that two people die every day in motorbike accidents, and that numbers would spike if the ban was lifted.

Some may therefore be surprised to see police riding motorbikes around Yangon – it is known that 65 motorcycles are used by police to carry out their duties. Other exceptions

include post and electricity workers. According to a 2008 Myanmar Times report, “Only government-related officials may use motorcycles in the Yangon municipal area. They are not allowed to carry passengers and must wear helmets.”

The officer conceded that the ban on motorbikes is not being effectively enforced due to a lack of human resources. And despite the recent crackdown, sales of motorbikes continue to rise and they remain the most popular form of transport across the country.

DEVELOPERS are confident that the Hledan flyover can help put an end to traffic woes at the severely congested intersection.

A spokesperson for Shwe Taung Development Company, which is building the Hledan flyover, said the flyover will greatly reduce traffic volume.

According to a December 2011 traffic survey undertaken by Vertix Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd of Singapore and Shwe Taung Development, the overpass could cut congestion by as much as 40 percent.

“The building of the overpass has advantages. We’re building the overpass

for the purpose of traffic clearance and to ease traffic congestion,” the spokesperson said.

“We hope that the vehicles passing along Yangon and Pyi Road will benefit from a faster

journey due to flyover access,” he added.

The 2507 foot long flyover is budgeted to cost

K14.487 billion (US$16.46 million) with a completion date scheduled for the end of March.

Daw Yin Yin Tun, 48, who lives on Hledan road and own a monk robe shop, said the completion of the Hledan overpass will be a welcome relief.

“I see so much traffic at Hledan junction at the moment. The congestion causes lengthy delays,” she said.

Daw Yin Yin Tun said that she believes the increase in car imports over the past three years is responsible for the increase in traffic, which has in turn hurt her business.

“That’s why the traffic conditions are quite serious and sometimes accidents occur. There are also fewer parking spaces, which means fewer buyers come to the shop. Sales are down,” she said.

Ko Soe Wunna, general manager of Shining Star Real Estate agency in Ahlone township, said that he also believed that the flyover would be a positive for the area.

“This is a big overpass which will benefit the area as a whole. It will create a commercially vibrant area,” he said.

“I expect that traffic along Yangon-Pyi road will be reduced due to flyover access.”

Though Ko Soe Wunna is optimistic, he said that more needs to be done once the flyover is complete.

“To ease traffic there needs to be a car park in the junction area. Hledan Centre will open and the former Pyi Myanmar Department Store building will be refurbished, so parking spaces are needed as well,” he said.

Ban on motorbikes lingers

Flyovers top priority for easing congestion

ByShwe Yee Saw Myint

ByHtar Htar Khin

Hledan overpass is due to be completed by March. Pic: Boothee

Would you like a fine with that? A courier takes a chance in Yangon. Pic: Boothee

7

IT was a car made famous by the Thingyan Festival: the Myanmar Jeep. Every year, hordes of young men and women would dress themselves up and pack themselves into their Myanmar-made Jeeps to make their way from stage to stage around town.

Getting drenched by fire hose with the top down as water poured through the open air vehicles was the way to go during the famous water festival in April, and some would even pay as much as K500,000 a day for the experience.

But times in Myanmar have changed, and this year, it might not be a Myanmar-made Jeep that stops in front of those booming stages. It’s more likely to be a jeep made in Japan, such as a Toyota, Suzuki, or Honda.

Throughout its existence, the company that made the Myanmar Jeep produced 25 different kinds of vehicles. The former owner of the company, U Win Min Naing, said his company closed and the business died a swift death in late 2011 after nearly 12 years of operation, The reason, he said, was the government’s decision to loosen the import laws on cars. Competition was fierce because locally manufactured jeeps are costlier than imported ones.

A new Myanmar Jeep used to sell for more than K15million, whereas the

overseas equivalent cost K10 million.

, former producer of Myanmar Jeep said that we could not compete with Japan Auto because they are more quality and price is cheaper then Myanmar Jeep.

He added, “There is no demand for

Myanmar Jeeps so manufacturers have slowed down factory work. When we import the spare parts needed to assemble a Myanmar Jeep, such as the body, bumper, roof and seats, the total cost for us is more than K 10million.”

But the Jeep crazy owners are till driving Myanmar Jeep so Myanmar Jeeps are not disappearing yet in local car field. Thus why second hand Jeeps have been demand until now, he told the Myanmar Times.

U Aung Than Win, an experienced car broker, told The Myanmar Times that: “In the past it difficult to impossible for most people to buy an imported car, so our local jeeps were really popular. Now most

people prefer the superior quality of a Japanese-made jeep. A second-hand Myanmar Jeep can cost as little as K2.5 million.”

This is a fraction of what the popular Yangon Jeep used to be worth – around K16 million.

However locally made jeeps are still are a common sight on the streets, and an unofficial fan club is alive and well.

Ko Thaung Htut Aung from North Dagon said he loves the Myanmar Jeep and bought his first one three years ago, which was manufactured by Aung Ka Bar Car factory in Yangon Region. He paid K5.1 million.

“I think my jeep is really stylish and I always dreamed of having my own

during the water festival. Myanmar Jeeps can also drive well on rough roads and I like that it runs on diesel. That said, I don’t think manufacturing

standards in Myanmar are as high as Japan’s, so I can understand why sales have pretty much come to a standstill,” he said.

U Win Min Naing said that many owners are so familiar with their cars’ simply structured engine – some of which were made in the 1940s – that

they can repair them themselves.

There are about 25 different Myanmar-made jeeps, the most famous of which is the Shan Jeep, which is made in Taung Gyi and Mongtong. Others include the Dagon Jeep, Myaing Jeep, Tila Jeep and the Honour Jeep.

The “death” of the iconic Myanmar Jeep

ByAye Nyein Win

Always a classic - the Myanmar

Jeep. Pic: Ko Taik

8

Bilu Kyun Island in Mon state: a transport time warp

THERE aren’t any cars on Mon State’s Bilu Kyun Island. Locals get around in horse-drawn carts, motorbikes, tuk-tuks or the occasional bus. In fact, until very recently, it was the Bronze Age invention, the horse-drawn vehicle, that was the most common form of transportation for the island’s 200,000 inhabitants.

According to Lonely Planet Myanmar (2011) “on the island, all local transport is by horse and cart, though the more distant villages can be linked by one of the few rattling buses.”

According to Mr Anthony, a guide based in Mawlamyine, motorbikes and tuk-tuks began to appear on the island two years ago. In that short space of time, it is these latter types of vehicles that now greet passengers disembarking the ferry at the village of Nut-Maw. The pony carts are all but disappearing, Mr Anthony said.

As a guide, he views the change pragmatically. Because

foreigners aren’t permitted to stay on the island (which is also known as “Ogre Island”) overnight, it’s more convenient to show tourists around the 64 villages using motorised transport. The downside is that like in many other parts of rural Myanmar, the nostalgic charm has been usurped by modernity.

However in the village of Kalwi, where tuk-tuks are

prohibited, it appears that horse-drawn carts outnumber motorbikes – though it could also simply be a matter of time before this changes. Cars remain prohibited throughout the island and tuk-tuks are only permitted in Nut-Maw, where the ferry from Mawlamyine arrives.

U Soe Min Tun lives in Kalwi and has been involved in the family’s pony-cart business for a decade. After his father immigrated to Thailand to find a job, U Soe Min Tun and his older brother set up the business as a means of supporting their family.

They started out with two ponies and a cart that they bought in Mawlamyine, the capital of Mon State.

“It was very hard in the beginning, because we had no idea about how to run a business or train ponies. The training was actually the hardest part,” U Soe Min Tun said.

He explained that he had no idea how tough it would be to

train the ponies and said that the early days with passengers were “horrible,” because neither he nor the ponies knew how to send and receive instructions, such as tugging on the reins to stop.

U Soe Min Tun is now an expert and has even built his own carts.

When the brothers started their business there were only four other competitors in his village. The pony-cart business expanded over time as an increasing number of tourists began to visit the island and

locals sought to enter the trade after losing their jobs in the island’s limited job sectors.

U Soe Min Tun said that he leads about five tours a day and the number of horse-drawn carts is now 25.

But despite the increase in passenger numbers, he still feels the pinch of competition.

“We earned more in the past than we do. We make about

K8000 a day, which isn’t always enough to meet my family’s needs,” U Soe Min Tun said.

The family had also been relying on the money sent from U Soe Min Tun’s sisters in Singapore – one of whom left a child behind in Bilu Kyun Island. However he said that the family has been forced to cut down on their expenses because his other sister is now married and has stopped sending money.

U Soe Min Tun and his brother have therefore tried to diversify by investing in a motorbike so that they can offer a speedier

form of transport to customers.“But I seldom use it,” he said. “I actually prefer to travel with

the ponies. This is partly because I can carry more passengers, but also because I am attached to the ponies,” he explained.

U Soe Min Tun doesn’t believe that cars will appear on the island any time soon.

“If this were to happen, it would have to be little by little. The roads are in such bad shape – even for driving a pony and cart.”

At this point Mr Anthony quipped, “Myanmar is a holy country, because of all the holes in the roads.”

Although there are plans to improve the roads within three or four months, there has been no announcement that the ban on cars will be relaxed.

“We have enough transport on the island. We don’t need cars,” said U Soe Min Tun.

However he added that he and his brother would be interested in buying a car if ever there was an opportunity to do so.

But he added firmly: “But no matter what, we would definitely keep our ponies because they have sort of become part of the family,” he added.

“We have enough transport on the island. We don’t need cars…”

ByMaria Danmark

One of Bilu Kyun Island's pony and carts. Pic: Maria Danmark

9

THE roadways in Yangon may be more crowded than ever with private cars, but more than 2.5 million people still depend on the city’s network of privately-owned buses – most of which are overcrowded and in poor condition. Some date back to World War II.

Tasked with monitoring the existing system is the Mahtatha, translated as the “all-private bus line control committee”. The committee oversees an estimated 395 bus lines with 4000 passenger buses in use every day, said U Ba Myint, secretary of the committee.

There are many challenges with the current system, he said, but the biggest hindrance at the moment is a shortage of vehicles and the fact that 2000 buses are out of operation.

The buses in service are frequently overloaded and thus prone to wear and tear. It is not unusual to see buses so packed with passengers that some people are literally hanging out the sides, especially during the morning and evening rush hours, he added.

The “special” buses are the most popular with customers because although the fare is slightly higher, the buses are not allowed to become overcrowded. However U Ba Myint acknowledged that what works for the customer does not always work for the

owner, as the profitability of some lines isn’t as high as others.

“It is hard to say who the best is: the number 48 line is said to be good but the bus owners want to shift to another line because the situation is not beneficial to them,” U Ba Myint said.

The income private companies make from the buses varies according to the type of vehicle. For example, a special bus on the Parami Line earns K70,000 a day for the company, while an ordinary bus earns just K40,000 a day, he said. Passengers on the special buses pay, on average, K200 per trip, but the majority of bus fees range from K50 to K300 per trip. There is no plan to change the present fare schedule for bus lines, U Ba Myint said.

Bus companies are also required to pay the Mahtatha about two percent of their daily income, while the bus driver and conductors must pay 1pc of their income. Bus drivers and conductors on private lines earn between K8,000 to

K10,000 a day. Operation costs may be

one reason for Mahtatha’s fees. Yangon’s bus lines are supervised by 17 committees staffed by more than 2700 people, including an East District, West District, North District

and South District, U Ba Myint said. The bus lines supervisory committee oversees the committees with 65 people.

“A concerted approach is needed to improve our public transportation system,” he said.

BUS drivers in Yangon are being offered “a reorientation course” to improve their personal skills with customers as well as driving and safety standards. The measure was decided recently after several years of complaints from customers about poor service on private bus lines.

The committee overseeing Yangon’s network of more than 350 private bus lines is known as the Mahtatha, and its leaders are offering the course to drivers who have served for more than two years, or who have not undertaken a basic course, said U Ba Myint, the committee’s secretary. The course will include traffic rules and regulations as well as a mandatory psychological test.

The bus drivers and conductors currently employed have already passed the test, U Ba Myint said.

“Changing mindsets is of prime importance,” U Ba Myint said.

“It’s not sensible to keep in place a system of awarding fines to drivers for falling below acceptable service standards – they just repeat the behaviour the following day. We need to rethink how disciplinary action works.”

The complaint which arises the most often is about overcharging passengers by not giving change.

“The conductor may claim he has no small notes or pretend to forget to do so – most notably, they do not give change if K100 is paid for K50-portion of the bus route,” said U Ba Myint.

“Passengers lodge complaints quite often.”

To address this problem, the Central Bank exchanges about K15 million in large denominations for smaller ones each week. U Ba Myint said.

In the past, Mahtatha employees often went to the pagoda to get change.

“Conductors should behave politely towards passengers, and passengers should prove to be good passengers. Only if everybody behaves well will change really take place,” U Ba Myint said.

Bus driver behaviour set to change

“Changing mindsets is of prime importance”

2.5 million rely on Yangon’s ageing bus system

ByAye Nyein Win

ByAye Nyein Win

Pic: Myanmar Times archive

10

ONE of the great advantages of cycling in Yangon is the fact that you’re not delayed by the increasingly problematic traffic and congestion.

But cycling also makes you more vulnerable to the root causes of that congestion: not only the growing number of cars on the road, but also the astoundingly rude, ego-centric driving habits of many of the city’s residents.

The general philosophy among many drivers in Yangon seems to be that it’s okay to do whatever is necessary to shave three seconds off your own driving time, even if that means putting lives in danger, delaying everyone else, and contributing to the traffic chaos for 500 metres in every direction.

The city’s traffic police are all but useless in solving these problems: A few seem to be on the ball, but most operate under the impression that standing on the corner and wailing away on their whistles will somehow magically dissolve the gridlock. In reality, all this does is create noise pollution and make the cops look lazy.

Many city planners around the globe have discovered that bicycle riding not only allows individuals to beat congestion, but can also be a means of reducing the congestion itself – if concerted efforts are made to urge more people to get out of their cars and rely on

pedal power. In short, if you encourage

cycling, more people will cycle; and if more people cycle, the roads will be less congested.

Smart Growth America, a national coalition of organisations dedicated to improving living standards in US cities, writes on its website that “designing streets only for automobiles reduces opportunities for safe travel choices that can ease traffic congestion: walking, bicycling and taking public transportation.”

One common method of getting people out if their cars is integrating dedicated bike lanes into urban planning.

A study of 90 of the 100 biggest cities in the US by researchers Ralph Buehler and John Pucher, published in July 2011, found that “cities with a greater supply of bike paths and lanes have significantly higher bike commute rates”. Other studies have found that the presence of bike lanes reduces traffic congestion and actually provides an economic boost to business districts through which bike lanes pass.

Unfortunately, the Yangon Traffic Police and Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) are not among the enlightened in this regard. They have always taken a backward approach to cycling in Yangon, and continue to do so.

Too much congestion? Why, let’s ban bicycles and force more people to rely on motorised transport in precisely those areas where the problem is at its worst.

That’s exactly what the Yangon Traffic Police did on July 5, 2003, when they announced that certain “busy roads” would be closed to bicycles, namely Pyay Road, Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, U Wisara Road, University Avenue and Kandawgyi Park

Loop Road.The downtown area

would be a logical place to encourage people to get out of their cars, but instead the police banned bikes from a big chunk of the grid: from Bogyoke Aung San on the north (inclusive) to Merchant

Street on the south, and from Phone Gyi on the west to Bo Aung Kyaw Street on the east. (Oddly, the downtown restrictions are in effect from 5am to 11pm, while the “uptown” roads are closed 24 hours a day.)

With traffic congestion

growing worse in Yangon, has this attitude changed? Not one bit. One YCDC spokesperson told The Myanmar Times earlier this month that there was no special plan to accommodate cyclists in Yangon because “Yangon is not a bicycle city like Mandalay”.

Let’s apply this mind-blowing logic to another sector:

Patient: Doctor, what plan do you have for operating on my cancerous tumor?

Doctor: I have no plan to operate on your cancerous tumor because you already have a cancerous tumor!

Patient: Whaaaaaaah?!?!?!?!?

Another YCDC official, Department of Engineering (Roads and Bridges) deputy director U Myo Min, said there was no plan to include cyclists in the traffic plans “for at least the next three years”.

“We are improving the standard of roads in the city but it is not sure for bicycles. We are not sure about including special lanes for bicycles,” he said.

One gets the distinct impression, upon hearing this supremely wishy-washy response, that bicycles are nowhere close to becoming

Cycling Yangon’s gridlock apocalypseBy

Douglas Long

A preferable alternative to city cycling. Douglas Long on his bike near Hpa-an. Pic: Aung Htay Hlaing

11

part of Yangon’s road-planning equation.

In the meantime, we who cycle in Yangon must continue dealing with the situation that has been handed to us.

I spend a significant

amount of time cycling around the city, usually about seven or eight hours a week. I live in Insein township and work downtown, and my commute (which I usually do five days a week) is about 21 kilometres (13 miles) each way. This takes me 45 to 50 minutes one way, up to twice as fast as I can cover the distance in a taxi.

Before moving to Myanmar I lived in Los Angeles for 10 years, and before that spent three years in New York City. In both cities I cycled nearly every day, and throughout that entire 13-year period I didn’t

experience as many close calls with bad drivers as I do in Yangon on a weekly basis.

Anyone who mounts a bicycle in Yangon will face crazed drivers who don’t seem to know what traffic lanes are for, or swerve

without warning, or make abrupt turns without signaling, or think it’s a good idea to crawl up the opposing traffic lane. The worst are bus drivers, who apparently believe that beating the other driver to the next passenger stop is more important than life itself.

And a note to drivers: If a pedestrian is crossing the road 100 metres ahead and they’re already three-quarters of the way to the curb, it’s not necessary to honk at them. They’ll be long gone by the time you get there. Honking can be a useful means communication

when used judiciously, but when every fool on the road honks at every shadow that moves, it’s reduced to annoying background noise that doesn’t communicates anything to anyone.

Pedestrians are another hazard, and they’re often less predictable than drivers. I’ve had people stand on the curb watching me pedal closer, closer, closer, and then when I’m 2 metres away they decide it’s the perfect time to step in front of me and start crossing the road.

There are also the human squirrels who step forward, then back, then forward, then freeze, then step back, then forward until you have no idea what they’re going to do next. Another all-too-common oddity are pedestrians who walk across the street while staring intently in the opposite direction from which the traffic is coming, a habit for which I have no reasonable explanation. (Are they time travelers from the past? Do they think it’s 1961, when Burma was still a left-hand-driving country?)

One must also expect the unexpected: Two weeks ago a pedestrian who was running for a bus ploughed into me at full speed while I was sitting on my bike waiting for a red light. I saved myself from being knocked over by putting my hand out and propping myself up on a car parked to my right. The pedestrian bounced off me, muttered an apology and continued his blind, thoughtless dash for the bus. As I type this, I’m still feeling shoulder pain from the

collision. Sad to say, but other

cyclists also cause plenty of headaches. They can be just as unpredictable as drivers, but without the speed or deadly force. It’s especially strange how the slowest among them (including trishaw drivers) are the keenest to place themselves at the front of the queue waiting for the light to change green.

A city with dedicated bike lanes, and competent police to enforce their proper use, would not have such a big problem with this.

Cycling Yangon’s gridlock apocalypse

“Bicycle riding not only allows individuals to beat congestion, but can also be a means of reducing

the congestion itself.”

1. Wear a helmet: Helmets can be expensive, but if you can afford to buy one, there remains only one excuse not to strap one to your head: sheer stupidity. Get over your grade-school fear of looking silly (you’ll look even sillier lying on the pavement with your skull cracked open). And I don’t care if the helmet musses your K-pop hairdo (which looks ridiculous, by the way): Protect your head from everything the city throws at it.

2. Keep your eyes moving and your ears open: You need to keep your eyes about 5 metres up the road to take note of the pedestrians, potholes and sleeping dogs in your path, and at the same time 100 metres ahead to register parked cars, merging traffic and other hazards. Simultaneously, you need to be aware of what’s happening to your left and right. And don’t wear headphones while cycling on the open road: Hearing is your primary means of assessing what’s happening behind you.

3. Don’t hug the curb: Whenever I ride too close to the curb, there is a noticeable increase in incidences where cars and buses fly past and then box me in, either swerving right to pick up passengers or making a very dangerous, full-on right-hand turn. I have therefore developed the habit of riding about 1 metre out from the curb: I’m more visible,

it forces drivers to give me more space, and it gives me more room to maneouvre when drivers speed onto the road from side streets without bothering to determine whether anyone is approaching (another bad habit of Yangon drivers).

4. Avoid sudden changes in direction: Sometimes it’s necessary to swerve to avoid clueless drivers or insane pedestrians, but if I see a car parked in my lane up ahead, I don’t wait until I’m 2 metres behind it before abruptly changing lanes. About 50 metres out, I start to slowly angle away from the curb so that by the time I reach the car I’m already in position to pass it. If there are cars approaching from behind, I signal my intention to gradually angle away from the curb by putting my left arm out at a 45-degree angle and pointing down towards the road.

5. Slow down: I enjoy riding fast in places where the road is wide open, but I always stop at red lights. And in areas where the traffic is gridlocked, I ride slowly with my eyes roving to avoid colliding with pedestrians darting between cars. The drivers of Yangon might not think so, but for me it’s more important to avoid running someone down than it is to get to my destination a couple minutes faster.

To buy a bike, helmet, or other accessories, check out Bike World, Yangon’s only cycling specialist store.

Address: 3/2 Kan Road Between Pyay & Insein Road ,Hlaing Myint Mo Housing, Hlaing township.

Phone: 01525820, 095134190, 095007819Open daily from 10am to 8pm.

Five cycling tips for dealing with traffic madness

At a busy intersection on the corner of Bo Aung Kyaw Street. Pic: Aung Htay Hlaing

12

Industry Company Name Address Township Phone

Car Service Auto Care Pyay Rd, near Nar Nat Taw Street KMYT 43050098

Car Auction Centre Sakura Auto Auction Centre Cherry Garden City,14/3 Ward SOKA 5072650

CarAution Five Great Service Co. Ltd 43, 3rd floor, 27th Street (Lower block) PBDN 374257, 095129699

Car Auction Sea Cross Auto Mobile 36/38, Alan Pya Pagoda rd, Infront of La Pyayt Wun Plaza Dagon 5159884, 255622, 255623

Car Service Auto Care 451-E, Pyay Road KMYT 43050098

Car Accessories Mg Ba &sons No76/80, Banyar Dala Street MTNT 200250

Car Accessories Bawgawadi Bayint Naung Market MYGN 682554

Car Accessories Shwe Pyi Thit No.29/30, Bayint Naung Zay MYGN 681694

Car Accessories Fibre Tech Corner of Kyuntaw and Narnataw streets SCHG 95188095

Car Accessories Time Car Decoration B1,2,3 Hantharwaddy Street SCHG 98033523

Car Service Cherry Auto No.52,Waizeyantar Road SOKA 565522

Car Aircon Shafee 33 Ma Po Street, Myaynigone SCHG 536617

Car Accessories Mercedes Auto Parts No 9, Botataung Lanethwe BTHG 297721, 297243

Car Accessories Mercedes Auto Parts No 9,Botataung Lanethwe BTHG 297721, 297243

Car Accessories Desire Autoworks 10 Waizayantar Rd S/OKKA 95052457

Car Audio MK Car Audio No.1/B, Pyay Rd, 6 Mile HLG 524249

Car Service Myanmar General Motor Co.,Ltd (MGM) Rm-5,Build-3,Yadanar Rd, Malikha Zay Tan TGGN 095118184

Car Spare Parts U Ba Jan Car Auto Part No.198,Ground Floor, Bomyathtun Street PZDG 95101263

Car Service Golden Air Travel & Tour No.87,Ground Floor, 44th Street BTHG 095066527

Car Service Mya Thar Co.Ltd Rm (1), Building (233),Yan Shin Street, (6) Quarter YKN 550812 Ext 2624

Car Service SCE (Sea Cross Express Trading Co.,Ltd) No.38(A/1), Alan Pya Pagoda Road, at the front of La Pyay Winn Plaza DGN 255622

Car Service Sky Mahar Trading & Construction Rm.902, Building (B), Peal Condo BHN 559560

Car Service Myanmar Bright Wing Co.Ltd No.251,1st flr,Bo Aung Kyaw St (Middle Block) KTDA 385949

Car Service Swel Taw Car Services Aung Mingalar Street, Kyauk Myung TMWE 0973081696

Car Service PPWS Trading (Pyae Phoo Wai Sar) No.166/B,Rm (1),First Thiri Avenue, Lower Kyee Myint Dine Rd AHLN 229565

Car Service Pann Kaba Services Co.,Ltd No.255, First Floor,Bogyoke Aung San Market KTDA 377004

Car Dealer Medori Trade New University Avenue 543139, 547266

Heavy Machinery Family United Power Co.Ltd No.12/B,43, Shwekeinnayi Housing, Narnattaw Street KMYT 706644

Heavy Machinery Techo Marketing No.21, Pearl Street,Thuwana TGGN 570283

Heavy Machinery Aung Hein Min Co., Ltd 69, Bayint Naung Rd MYG 682160

Heavy Machinery The Rich Gems Co.Ltd No. 303, Uwisara Rd, No. 16/2, Inya Rd, (Inya Day Spa) SCHG,KMYT

536272, 500060 502597, 537907, 503375

Heavy Machinery Myanmar Kaido Co.Ltd. 1/A, Bayint Naung Rd, Aye Yeik Mon Housing, Block 4 HLG 09-5020414, 681660

Heavy Machinery Aung Gyi Trading Co.Ltd. (Oriental Coast Co. Ltd) 5/C, Yuzana Street, 4th Qt, Ayeyeikmon Housing Hlaing 681424, 09-511-8681

Car Dealer Super Seven Star No.162-164,Maha Bandoola Rd, PZDG 299183

Car Dealer New Comet Trading A-1,2,3,second floor, Myanmagonyi housing MTNT 393344

Car Dealer Kaung Myat Car Dealer No.76-80, B-1, Theinphyu Tannis MTNT 09-8630552

Car Dealer Golden Fortune 327 U Wizara Road SCHG 95132777

Car Dealer Arman Thit Car Production 423 Lower Kyinmindine Street AHLN 95147828

Car Dealer Sky High 42/A Pantra Street Dagon 95410699

Car Dealer KSTM Car Industrial Number 104, 37th Street KTDA 398304

Heavy Machinery United Machinery Group 589-598 New Tha Ka Ta ( 1), Bo Aung Kyaw Street HLTY 645,181.00

Heavy Machinery Shwe Ein 15 Mya Mar Lar Lane, Industrial Zone TKA 09 5402047, 09 5195002

Heavy Machinery Trade Zone 001/101, Zayar Mon Housing, Bayint Naung Street MYGN 682990

Car Dealer SUZUKI 50/52 Bogyoke Aung San St. PZDG 09-5011990 , 296605 , 297214

Car Dealer Kabarmin 887 Lay Daung Kan St. TGGN 0949233403 / 398332

Car Dealer Aung Kembo 156 Twin Thin Tike Wun, U Tun Nyo Street, Zone 3, Shwe Pyi Thar township 618142 / 09-49322323

Car Dealer Speedy Auto 138 Upper Pansodan Street MTNT 393202

Heavy Machinery ATC Trading & JCB 27/A Kabar Aye Pagoda Road Yankin 667498

Car Dealer Shwe Yin Mar Co.,Ltd Sakura Tower (or) TharKayTa KTDA 255460,450541,450907-9

Car Dealer Elephant Media No.23 Baug SunLwanGuKyaung Str: 2Str: YKN 09-43162446,400838

Car Dealer Win Hlaing2 Oo Yuzana Tower BHN 09-5099043

Car Dealer Cherry Yoma Co.,Ltd A(230)Myanma Gone Youn Str: Nat Chaung TMWE 09-47072073

Car Show Room Win & S.P.A.M 87 Pyay Road MYGN 09-5129699

Heavy Machinery Uclan (Vital Service) 407, Building C, 4th Floor,Pearl Condo BHN 558675

Heavy Machinery SCG Trading (Kubota) 5 Kabar Aye Pagoda Road YKN 09 5149007

Car Automobile Group Myanmar - Toyo Automobile Group Rm-G-1-9,Build C, Pearl Condo, Kabar Aye Pagoda Road BHN 3001182, 09-73144588, 09 5103107

Heavy Machinery Pacific Machinery Bayint Naung HLG 680878,680868

Car Show Room Oasis Auto Services Co.,Ltd No.89, Yangon Insein Rd KMYT 535479

Car Show Room Synergy Car Show Room Near 8 Mile MYGN 0949324010

Car Show Room Win Ko Car Sales Centre .27 Thukhawaddy Street, (6) Qtr YKN 579863

Car Show Room Yaung Ni Oo Car Show Room W-23,Mya Khan Thar Street HLG 681629

Heavy Machinery Tiger Supply Co.,Ltd 19-21 Station Road, Bauk Htaw YKN 8603505

Car Show Room Shwe Wah Yaung Car Show Room J-73 Yuzana Street, Bayint Naung Warehouse MYGN 680803

Car Show Room CNY Myanmar No.47/Flr,7 1/2 Miles, Pyay Road MYGN 095009532

Car Show Room Capital Automotive Ltd. No (3), Insein Rd.Ward (12), Near Themin Junction HLG 095003861

Car Show Room Aung Kabar Co. Ltd 40(A) Phoe Sein Road, Tamwe TMWE 8603919

Motocycle Astronova Myanmar No.70, corner of U Tun Nyo St and U Chaint Street, Zone 2 HLTA 687933

Car Dealer Aung Gabar Co.,Ltd 40/A Poe Sein Road TMWE 8603919

Car Show Room Shwe Yamon Manufacturing Co. Ltd No.174(B),Seik Kan Thar Street, Industrial Zone (4) HLTA 685320

Car yards, service centres, accessory shops, heavy machinery outlets

13

On an early morning last week in Sanchaung township, trishaw driver Ko Kyar Si’s affable personality is on full display. He keeps his banter light-hearted as he finds himself in the middle of a familiar balancing act to keep his regular passengers happy.

“Kyar Si, can you drive by Asia Royal hospital?” one man asks.

“Kyar Si, please drive my kids to school,” a nearby mother says, anxious to make sure that her children arrive to class on time.

The slender Ko Kyar Si, 33, has been pedaling his trishaw for 10 years in this neighbourhood. Over his decade on the streets he

has gained a level of trust with the regulars he refers to as his “first priority,” customers.

“Passengers like me because I consider them my family. Mothers ask me to ferry their children because they trust me. I think I should charge more but it’s hard to make people feel it’s worth it,” he says.

Although the city is more crowded than ever with taxis, the demand for trishaws still remains high.

In the downtown area, while cars and buses sit in traffic jams on main roads, trishaw drivers snake between idling vehicles and through Yangon’s labyrinth of side streets and back alleys. For short trips, they remain ideal.

Trishaw drivers told The Myanmar Times that business is good. Despite tiresome work that can become more difficult

as the temperature rises and rainy season hits, they said there is no lack of paying customers, especially in crowded townships like Maynigon, Sanchaung, Kyeemyindain, Alone, Hledan and Kamaryut.

Ko Kyar Si said that on some occasions he drives for free when customers are in urgent need of a ride to somewhere

such as a hospital. Do those situations hurt his

business? Definitely not, he said. He earns around K12,000 a day, K1,200 of which he must pay for renting his trishaw. His single life gives him a chance to save and he also provides for his parents.

Though Ko Kyar Si is respected amongst the customers that know him, he admitted that trishaw drivers are often looked down on in Myanmar society for being uneducated and lacking a polished appearance.

“My job has a low stature in society but I always try to keep my chin up. I won’t cheat and steal. I make my living in an honest way,” he said.

Other drivers agreed with Ko Kyar Si that they are respected within their local communities and by those who use their services.

U Than Win of Hlaing Tharyar township on Yangon’s outskirts has been driving a trishaw for 20 years.

“People near my station are friendly to me and give some odds jobs when I have no passengers or meagre earnings,” he said.

He finds himself painting, fixing basins or pipes and taking on small carpentry and electrical jobs for his customers when business slows down.

The father of four with another on the way U Than Win, like other drivers, professed a love of driving that keep him on the roads.

“I love trishaw-driving. It is my benefactor of a happy-life and I won’t depart it. If I won the lottery, I would buy a taxi and hire a driver but I would keep driving my trishaw as long as I could pedal,” he said.

“Passengers like me

because I consider them my family.”

Trishaw drivers keep chin upBy

Cherry Thein

A trishaw in Yangon. Pic: Kaung Htet

14

Waiting for the train: upgrading the Yangon circle line

THE hands of the clock at Yangon Central Railway Station show the time as 11:50 – but it’s 10:45am and the Yangon circle line is ready for departure. A lone chicken pecks at the ground skittishly while a dog with a black tumour does his best to avoid the small flurry of passengers. Although 20 of the station’s 427 staff are employed to keep the station clean, betel stains abound and several of the rubbish bins are almost overflowing. Weary families sleep on the platform beside oversized plastic bags of belongings.

For a city with an estimated population of six million and increasingly congested roads, the intra-city railway line has an unfortunate lack of hustle and bustle. This is primarily due to the fact that the train travels at about 17 kilometres an hour and therefore takes nearly three hours to complete the 45.9km route, which encompasses 39 stations.

A working paper published in

March 2012 by the Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Tokyo estimates that 130,000 passengers take the circle line each day. The Yangon Circular Railway Development Project, as the paper is titled, describes the Yangon Circle Line as suffering “from poor quality, low speed, and infrequent service. Thus, it is relatively underused as a resource.”

Indeed: the report goes on to state that just two percent of Yangon’s population rely on trains as a form of public transport each day, whereas 3.14 million passengers take the bus, representing the vast majority of the 4.5 million city dwellers who use public transport.

Because the train loop doesn’t extend to Yangon’s main commercial district, “commuters are forced to take buses, taxis, or rickshaws in the commercial district, which contributes to severe congestion problems,” states the report.

A German engineer called Dieter Hettler told The Myanmar Times via email that: “In February 1964 a batch of 28 diesel-hydraulic locomotives…arrived in Yangon from Essen, Germany, which I had the pleasure to put into use on circular trains starting from Insein.”

Mr Diettler taught the steam-locomotive drivers how to drive the diesel trains. He wrote that, “Later on… less powerful diesel locos were put into service on the circle line... That is still the situation today.”

In addition to the worn out carriages, the daily schedule of 10 circle line trains (the last of which leaves at 2:25pm) “is not preferable for the passengers, as trains often run not as scheduled. The uncertain schedule refrains potential passengers from using railways and encourages them to use less-uncertain modes such as bus, private car, or taxi.”

Although the station manager told The Myanmar Times that 90pc of outbound trains leave on time, 67-year-old U Thant Zin, who has run a betel shop at Dadarkalay Station station since 1986, doesn’t agree.

He said that trains are usually late and “it gets worse on weekends – maybe because there are fewer passengers and the staff don’t care.”

Last year U Thant Zin opened a second-hand electronics shop next to the betel shop, but said that business is slow and was unwilling to divulge his profits.

He’s noticed a “huge decline in passenger numbers – it’s a quarter of what it was in 1986.”

U Thant Zin believes one cause could be the increase in ticket prices – “people now prefer to travel in buses because the price isn’t much different,” he said.

However Yangon’s palpably overcrowded buses account for just 6pc of the total number of vehicles on the road, according to the university’s data from 2008. This means that a huge number of taxis and private cars dominate, with obvious consequences for air quality as well as economic impacts, such as slowing the delivery of goods and services and increasing the length of time commuters spend in traffic each day.

According to the academic L. Santucci, even a city such as Bangkok, which has a popular skytrain and metro, lost 6pc of its gross domestic product due to traffic congestion in 2011.

Although the need for an upgrade is apparent, the report states that the infrastructure cannot support a faster or more frequent train service unless the lightweight railway foundations and tracks are completely overhauled.

For decades, the circle line has been used almost exclusively by tourists and low income Yangonites, who put up with the

ByJessica Mudditt

A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars. It’s where the rich use public transport. – Mayor of Bogota, September 2012

Passengers waiting for a circle line train to arrive. Pic: Kaung Htet

“Just two percent of Yangon’s

population rely on trains

as a form of public transport each day, whereas

3.14 million passengers

take the bus.”

15

Waiting for the train: upgrading the Yangon circle line trains’ inconveniences because it is a K100 cheaper alternative to a bus ticket. Up until November 2011, the price of a train ticket was just K10, after which it rose to K100 for a return journey.

Thirty-three-year-old Lei Lei San and her eight female friends from Mayangyone were traveling to a donation ceremony in Kyimindaing. She said, “I don’t ride the train regularly but I’m taking it today because bus fares are expensive.”

A man sitting in another carriage, who has been buying and sells folding lounges for the past two years, agreed, saying, “Buses are a bit expensive.”

The train is a more convenient option for people transporting wholesale goods – such as vendors from the large fruit and vegetable market near Botataung station. According to the station master U Aung Than Kyaw, oversized goods are prohibited from being brought on the train during the morning rush-hour.

The Yangon circle line is itself a hotbed of entrepreneurial activity. A man with a deafening voice sells cosmetics and perfumes, while an eccentric elderly person hands out free samples of bitter tasting digestive medicine. I buy a pack for

K500. A 65-year-old blind banjo player

carrying a tin filled with mostly K50 notes told The Myanmar Times, “I go from carriage to carriage. I can’t rely on my children to support me, so this is my profession.”

A woman carrying a basket of peanuts on her head said, “I’m on the train every day and I never buy a ticket. If the conductor catches me, I have to pay a K1000 fine.”

The good news is that plans to modernise the circle line are in the pipeline – but the sad news is that this will take at least six years from now to complete.

Maki Morikawa, Project Formulation Advisor for the Infrastructure Sector at Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), told The Myanmar Times that a master plan for the development of greater Yangon was started in December last year and will be published in December 2013. JICA is collaborating with Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) to undertake the survey, which he described as “wide-ranging.”

“It includes issues such as water supply as well as urban transport,” Mr Morikawa said.

In May, JICA and YCDC will hold

a seminar in Yangon to explain the survey and a question and answer session open to the public will take place.

Mr Morikawa explained that once the findings of the master plan are known, the government will set its priorities.

If upgrading the circle line makes the cut, the project will take five years to complete, Mr Morikawa said.

“For example, before starting the project, the government will need to put out a tender for the designer. This process takes time.”

JICA’s role in a possible upgrade “depends on [the outcome of] our discussions with the government. Of course we can provide finance and the government will prepare a budget,” he said.

When asked about whether an improved railway system would mean a rise in ticket prices, Mr Morikawa said, “We ask the same question ourselves, because the [circle line’s] passengers are from low income backgrounds. We need to discuss this in detail because a railway system is an important form of transport for everyone.”

Some may wonder why JICA didn’t initiate such plans sooner. As Mr Morikawa explained, JICA’s operations were relatively

small between 1988 and 2003 and it wasn’t until 2011 that it began to expand its presence in Myanmar after a statement on cooperation was jointly issued by the governments of Japan and Myanmar.

Mr Morikawa said, “It’s important to see transport as a network – but so far the government hasn’t developed a concrete plan or coordination. It’s a big investment, so it’s a big decision.”

The report (which has no connection to JICA and YCDC’s plans) estimates that upgrading the railway will cost US$10 million per kilometre, amounting to a total cost of about $400 million.

It states, “construction costs aside, the project can become profitable in about 15 years’ time” and calculates that the amount of money saved by having an efficient train line (which thereby reduces commuting times) and “increased consumer surplus from the reduction in generalised costs… are calculated to be approximately… $39.1 million a year.”

The study describes Yangon’s bus system as suffering from “insufficient management of the proliferation of routes, the poor quality of vehicles, inadequate bus

networks, and lack of financial support.” This causes “on-the-road competition and threatens the safety of the public.”

Although upgrading the circle line would consume a vast amount of money, the report argues that “a frequent and reliable railway system produces more overall benefits than a bus system because railway development can attract high levels of investment from the private sector and promote real estate development around the station, which typically does not happen in the case of a bus system… Such incentives can enable the local government to form public private partnerships (PPPs), such that government spending on railway improvement can be minimised.”

Although Yangon’s infrastructure is comparatively weak – a factor that will add to the overall cost of the project: “on the positive side, the land for the Yangon circular railway is ready and no resettlement of inhabitants is required.”

It seems inevitable that Yangonites will one day take a metro for granted, and that the entire lap will take around 35 minutes. The real question is when.

A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars. It’s where the rich use public transport. – Mayor of Bogota, September 2012

The Yangon circle line train. Pic: Kaung Htet