Some YBS lines install an electronic payment system and some are still employing conductors to collect bus fares.
The YRTA has installed the card payment system on 1,900 YBS buses to ease the difficulties regarding notes and the passengers have to use the notes as some bus lines offer such service.
The Yangon Payment Service machines were installed on nearly 2,000 buses of 56 YBS bus lines under 10 private companies and further 4,000 machines will be installed.
“The card payment system is more convenient. But it is not available on every bus line. Therefore, people have to use notes. We must have some notes as it is OK to take a bus after scanning the payment card, but the next bus we take does not have such a system. The system is extremely good, and so it should be implemented for every bus line, only then, we don’t have any difficulties regarding notes and bus fares collected by the conductor,” retired teacher U Kyaw Myint told the GNLM.
The YRTC is now discussing with a technology company to implement Mobile Wallet with a QR system for bus fares in addition to the payment card system. The committee is now prioritizing the payment card system to be able to install on all buses, joint-secretary U Lyan Cin Mang of YRTC (Yangon Region Transport Committee).
“The practice of putting the bus fares into the box disappear, let alone YBS card system. The passengers can go where they want after putting the bus fares in the box in the past. Now, the drivers block the hole in boxes and collect the money by asking the distance with the conductors. The passengers face such cases every day. The bus fare has to be paid as the conductors say. The card system is very simple. Now, the private bus lines do not follow the rules and regulations. The drivers have contacts to exchange information about the surprise checks. It is like the previous Ma Hta Tha system,” said passengers Ma Aye Myint from Hlinethaya.
Over 3,143 buses of 116 YBS bus lines are commuting more than 1,175,300 passengers daily. — TWA/GNLM
