Most trucks travelling to Ayeyawady Region will only receive goods until 8 April before Thingyan holidays, according to the brokers’ sales centres.
Among Yangon-based highway cargo transport services, most of the trucks running a distance of 200 miles and above will receive goods until 8 April, Ko Hla Han, a chili warehouse owner in Bayintnaung market, told the Global New Light of Myanmar (GNLM)
Since unloading is difficult in small towns during Thingyan, many highway bus gates at the Bayintnaung truck terminal will be closed a few days in advance before Thingyan. Only the trucks going to shorter distances like Ayeyawady delta areas will continue operating till the time nearing Thingyan, said some Pathein car gates.
The distance to Ayeyawady delta is around 100 miles and as it takes only seven hours for the trucks to reach the delta, they can operate until Thingyan, but depending on the opening or closing of the warehouses in Yangon, they will arrange the trips from other cities to Yangon.
Therefore, some goods destined for Pathein are now facing difficulties at the truck gates to be transported from Yangon. Some trucks came from Pathein with no cargo and carried goods on their way back from Yangon, causing transport costs to rise.
Due to this temporary closure of the majority of trucks on and after 8 April, the trucks arriving in Yangon during this period, especially vegetable trucks carrying onions and potatoes, are finding it difficult to load their return cargo, leading to a slight increase in the price of these greens.
Purchases of onions and potatoes from Yangon by delta areas to sell during Thingyan holidays increased and more Yangon trucks were needed to meet the rising demand.
During the period of six days from 28 March to 3 April, 1.5 million visses of onions entered Yangon market, with a daily average volume of 0.25 million visses.
Traders in other cities were informed by Bayintnaung warehouses that onion and potato godowns will only receive goods until 9 April, said Ko Thein Myint, a retailer in Taymar street.
Most warehouses will be closed from 12 April. They will reopen after the Myanmar New Year, but payments for goods will only be made when banks are open after Thingyan public holidays.
To transport onions from Seikpyu to Yangon, it now costs 150 kyats a viss and it is K 200 for potatoes from Aungban to Yangon (loaded in the evening, arriving in the morning).
TWA/ZN
