Free Wi-Fi to be introduced onboard YBS buses

Photo: Pixabay
Photo: Pixabay

Considering how much Myanmar people love the internet — and by internet, of course we mean Facebook — perhaps the Yangon Bus Public Company’s latest venture to provide free Wi-Fi on their buses will be just enough to distract us from all its other failings (at least for the near future). Yep, you read that right — some YBS buses currently have Wi-Fi services onboard.

Pairing up with the Japan International Cooperation Agency, customers on either of two buses that operate along the Number 37 line from Htauk Kyant to Sule can access the internet during the ride.

But there’s a small price to pay if you want to browse Facebook during your commute: in order to access the Wi-Fi, customers need to answer a question that’s part of a larger survey that the YBPC is conducting.

Speaking to to 7Day, the YBPC’s Deputy General Manager Thwin Htoo Kyaw explained: “If we just ask people what improvements they’d like to see, or what the current system’s strengths and weaknesses are, no one will be interested in answering. By asking as a way to log into the Wi-Fi, JICA can collect the data which will be useful for us.”

“When you login, we ask a question, such as if there’s a noticeable difference between YBS and [its predecessor] Ma Hta Tha, if the driver is driving smoothly, if the customer service is good, and so on. There are 12 questions in total. After you’ve answered one, you can log in and use the Wi-Fi.”

If all goes well, JICA has plans on installing Wi-Fi onboard at least 20 more buses.

As it stands, each user is only allotted up to 5MB per login though, so browse wisely.

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