Social organisations urge Thingyan revellers to drive carefully during Thingyan

By Admin 11 Apr 2023

DMG Newsroom
11 April 2023, Sittwe

There are many traffic accidents in Arakan State each year during the Thingyan holiday period, and social organisations are emphasising the importance for drivers to operate their vehicles with special care.

Most traffic accidents in Arakan State during Thingyan are attributed to drunk driving.

If there are any traffic or other accidents during Thingyan, officials from local social organisations in Arakan State say they plan to provide assistance in a timely manner.

“During Thingyan, people drink too much alcohol and drive motorbikes and vehicles recklessly, causing accidents. We will provide 24-hour assistance in the event of an accident,” said U Min Htel Wah, chairman of the Shwe Yaung Myitta Foundation, a local charity in Sittwe. “We are ready to provide assistance in the event of a traffic accident.”

The Arakan State Traffic Police told DMG that they are striving to reduce traffic accidents during Thingyan, which begins on April 13 and runs through April 16.

“If there is an accident, we will work on different duties so that we can help immediately. Currently, the traffic police are also planning to set up one-way traffic systems during Thingyan and try to reduce traffic accidents as much as possible,” said Ko Lin Lin, chairman of the Myitta Yaungchi Association, a Sittwe-based charity.

A total of 283 traffic accidents were reported in Arakan State in 2021, with 121 deaths and 283 injured. In 2022, there were 149 road accidents resulting in 84 deaths and 192 injured, according to the state traffic police.

These figures are only inclusive of incident reports collected by the Arakan State Traffic Police, with the total figure likely to have been notably higher in both years.