Yangon Region Transport Authority (YRTA) secretary Dr. Maung Aung blamed a recent deadly bus accident in Yangon on the buses’ drivers while speaking at a sustainable transportation seminar yesterday, where he also outlined measures to prevent future accidents.
“That tragedy was all because of the drivers,” he said.
In an effort to curb dangerous driving in the city, the YRTA secretary announced the launch of undercover patrols, which will be conducted by traffic police.
“Drivers who are caught violating traffic rules will lose their licences forever and face jail time,” he said. “According to the 2015 Motor Vehicles Law, we can terminate a driver’s licence and put them in jail for a month if they drive on the wrong side of the road.”
However, at the moment, the patrols consist of just 10 vehicles in total.
The secretary also said YRTA is instructing bus line owners to split each day’s earnings evenly among drivers in an effort to reduce speeding. Under the current system, bus drivers keep their daily earnings, which encourages them to drive quickly and recklessly.
“It is more difficult to change drivers’ mindsets than to change the system,” he said.
Public demands for reforms to Yangon’s public transportation system have increased since news broke of a deadly bus accident on July 7. Ten people were killed by a head-on collision between two Yangon Bus Service vehicles near the Htaukkyant Wat Memorial Cemetery in Mingaladon Township.
The crash also injured 34 people, some of whom are now receiving treatment at the Insein and North Okkalapa hospitals. Seven people are in critical condition, according to traffic police.
