Covid’s third wave forces several Arakan bus lines to suspend, scale back operations

By DMG 14 Sep 2021

DMG Newsroom
14 September 2021, Sittwe 

More than 10 highway bus lines in Arakan State have been suspended during the ongoing third wave of Covid-19, U Chan Aye, chairperson of the Motor Vehicles Supervisory Committee in Sittwe, told DMG. 

Since there are few passengers due to the virus’s latest outbreak, several bus lines have suspended their operations, U Chan Aye said. 

“All bus lines that do not suspend their services have to depend on transporting goods,” he said. 

But passenger buses carrying goods must still use bad roads in the rainy season, leading to additional calculations about profitability, said Ko Naing Naing, manager of the Aung Sit Khaing bus line. 

“We have had to suspend the service because we do not get many goods to transport. It is suitable to undertake a trip if we can transport goods worth more than K1 million at least. And buses are damaged when they are used to transport goods,” he said. 

Bus lines that continue to run routes have reported reducing the number of buses in operation, said Ko Moe, supervisor of the bus gate of Shwe Pyi Thit bus line, which runs between Sittwe and Mandalay. 

“The price of fuel oil is increasing now, but we cannot raise charges to transport goods while the price of commodities is also high. We are providing our service as much as we can,” he said. 

Trade to Arakan State involves both motorways and waterways, but most commodities are transported overland.  

Highway bus lines must adhere to coronavirus preventive regulations, and passengers are also required to show documentation proving they have recently tested free of Covid-19, bus line officials said.