Not many buses run past 8pm in Yangon. COCONUTS MEDIA
Drunk and abusive bus drivers operating unlicensed private services after dark are making commuting a misery for shift workers who say they are “risking their lives” to get home, The Myanmar Times reported.
Few buses in Yangon run past 8pm – the owners say an evening service would not be profitable – leaving late-night commuters at the mercy of unlicensed services with no government oversight.
One photojournalist, Sai Zaw from South Dagon, told the newspaper he was beaten up by bus staff on a late-night route after he complained the driver was speeding.
“The driver and crew were drunk. I told the driver to slow down, but he replied very rudely. I asked him to stop the car and I got off, along with most of the other passengers. The crew were so angry they attacked me,” he said.
Another passenger, accountant Zar Ni, said the renegade bus drivers, who according to 1989 bylaws should face fines of up to 30,000 kyats ($30) for operating without a business license, bribe the traffic police.
“The drivers and helpers are bad people and they run away when they get in an accident,” he said. “The commuters dare not complain, but we’re risking our lives, and the charges are high. But how else can we get home at night?”
But traffic police colonel Win Lwin, who works in Yangon, said it was a dilemma for the force. “The police cannot enforce these laws 24 hours a day, but we are aware that without these operators many commuters will not be able to get home.”
