Myeik-Yangon highway express bus service to resume with 50-per-cent capacity

After three months of closure, the highway express buses running Myeik-Yangon were allowed to resume with 50 per cent of the total seat capacity in line with health protocols issued by the Ministry of Health, starting from 15 November, said an in-charge of Myeik Township Private Vehicles Supervision Committee.
The regional government has ordered the express bus lines to temporarily halt the operations for the past three months owing to the rapid surge of COVID-19 cases across the country.
The regional government directed the bus lines to resume the service from 15 November.
The seating capacity will reduce up to 50 per cent in compliance with the prevention measures for the COVID-19. The operators from Myeik, Dawei, Mawlamyine and Kawthoung are instructed to strictly follow the health guidelines.
The significant drop in the new COVID-19 cases led to the resumption of highway services, said U Moe Kyaw Thu, secretary of Myeik Township Private Vehicles Supervision Committee.
Despite the resumption of highway bus lines, the curfew in Taninthayi, Bago and Yangon regions and Mon State has been imposed and transport at night is still prohibited. As a result of this, they are having transport barriers at present, drivers stressed. “The ticket for Myeik-Yangon costs K50,000 and Myeik-Dawei route is charged K30,000.
“There are 35 mini-bus lines and 15 buses operating from Myeik town. The region government gave the go-ahead to highway bus service with 50 per cent of the total seat capacity. The number of passengers is likely to increase when some COVID-19 test (PCR test) is eased. The bus line operators also have requested this to the government,” U Moe Kyaw Thu continued.
The transport hour limit caused delay and additional charges, making the passengers uncomfortable.
“The ticket charges are not officially set. The bus lines are ordered to provide services with 50- per-cent capacity in line with health guidelines for the COVID-19. The terminals give the green light to those vaccinated passengers without PCR tests. I like to request the authorities to ease the COVID-19 rules for those unvaccinated ones as well. We cannot avoid the delay due to the 8 pm curfew,” said Ko Thein Win, an in-charge of the Moe Kaung Kin bus station. — Myint Oo (Myeik)/GNLM