Taking a long breath, the trader U Win Thein, who delivers commodities from Pathein to Yangon, said, “Usually the truck running on the delta region used to earn K20,000 per tonne of goods for a 100-mile-long journey. Now, the Myawady border route’s transport truck rate earns much more than the Delta routes. Therefore, most six-wheeled trucks that used to run in the Delta region are shifting to the Myawady route, resulting in difficulty transporting goods to Yangon.”
A truck owner from the Delta region U Thaw affirmed the Global New Light of Myanmar that many six-wheeled trucks from the Delta region have been turning to run in the Myawady border route since January this year as they earn much more.
Old route, fuel oil and six-wheeled trucks
The reports state that a transporter that carries various fruits such as watermelons or onions and transports to the border area from the mainland earns from K8 million to K10 million for transporting the goods.
There also are advertisements on social media to hire lorries for freight transport with freight rates.
Since the old road is used for the Myawady border route, the transport charges are increasing, and the prices of imported goods are getting high. As fuel prices skyrocket in these months, truck owners choose routes that earn more. Thus, a shortage of trucks occurs on the original route.
Commodity transports are usually low between September and December. The commodity transports are boosting when it is turning into the dry season. However, the industry experiences the abovementioned shortage of trucks and high lorry charges.
Despite the skyrocketing fuel price increase by K400 per litre, truck owners, especially six-wheeled truck owners, earn much more.
Since there are difficulties in transporting goods for Myawady border route import items, consumers are encountering scarcity of commodities and high prices.
Like the Myawady route, transporting goods to Rakhine State charges K1 million per ton through the water transport route. Hence, transporting goods via the water route costs a lot since a vessel carries around 3,000 tonnes of goods.
A jump in prices of freight transport with lorries
Only the old way can be used for the Myawady route for the time being. The Asia Highway cannot be used at present for various situations. Although the Htokawkoe old road can be used, only the six-wheeled trucks are allowed to pass.
Even when there were regular journeys on the Myawady route, only those transporters that could carry 20,000 visses of commodities run. Within these months, the ratio of goods to trucks is imbalanced on the road. Moreover, the Muse route cannot be used currently; thus, the goods that will be delivered from China to Myanmar must be transported via Thai routes, including river routes.
There are difficulties in transporting goods from Thailand to Myanmar, and now, more loads, including imports from China, are stuck at the Thai border trade post. The prices are now standing at K300,000 per tonne.
It is a short route from Myawady to Thamanya. The goods are freighted to cities on the mainland with transporters from Thamanya. Since trucks from the delta region are turning to run in the Myawady route, the trucks are allowed on the old road one day for an up-trip and another day for a down-trip. Goods such as refrigerators and washing machines are carried in premium vans.
Transport workers and truck owners amid danger
It is also essential to carry the tax-levied goods in the import. The authorities find ease in inspection since goods are transported with small vehicles.
In the delta area, forest products are freighted with interdepartmental circulation letters and return circulation letters. However, there were incidents in which transport was allowed for two ways within a day with a single circulation letter. Sometimes, some transport workers use fake plate numbers with tax-paid sheets, and truck owners encounter difficulties when inspections find them, although truck fares earn tenfold more than the delta area.
Since trucks can pass the old road as the Asia Highway cannot be used at the time being, the six-wheeled trucks earn much more within these months in the Myawady trade route.
Although some truck owners said trucks are running from Thamanya to Myawady without load, there actually are loads to transport to the borderline. Authorities announce to measure the weight of lorries plus loads since 8 February, and the trucks are allowed to run from 6 am to mid-night on the old road.
It allows 15 tonnes of truck and loads for a six-wheeled truck and 20 tonnes of truck plus loads for a ten or 12-wheeled truck. However, city routes allow 16 tonnes of truck plus loads for a six-wheeled truck, 21 tonnes for a transporter, and 23 tonnes for a 12-wheeled truck, as reported by U Thein Win, an owner of the truck told The Global New Light of Myanmar (GNLM).
Old road and lorries
On social media, it is reported that six-wheeled lorries with transporter heads are running on that road. The trucks were passing through the Asia Highway with reasonable delivery prices. However, the Asia Highway has not been used for various reasons since earlier this year. Only six-wheeled trucks can pass on the old roads.
Since the Asia Highway cannot be used, the lorries that are at border crossings have to leave their back parts in Myawady and continue to Yangon. In Yangon, the truck buys the back parts with K20 million to run on the city roads.
In such a time when only small trucks can pass from Myawady to Thamanya, roads are busy with six-wheeled trucks. At present, drives of six-wheeled trucks are leading to Myawady routes.
Translated: TMT
