The company Tint Tint Myanmar has been chosen to run a water taxi on the Hlaing River and Nga Moe Yeik Creek.
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The firm will announce the details of its implementation, said a spokesperson from Tint Tint Myanmar.
In
order to upgrade Yangon’s public transport system, the regional
government has planned to upgrade the circular train and water taxi
services alongside bus transport, according to Yangon chief minister U
Phyo Min Thein on July 2016.
The Yangon Region Transport
Authority (YRTA) started accepting tender applications on November 21
until December 26 last year. The month-long application period was
intended to allow sufficient time for foreign and joint-venture
companies to submit their applications. The invitation to tender was
issued through a state-owned newspaper on November 16 and 17.
Tint
Tint Myanmar won the tender in March and they are currently working on
the specifics and details to implement a water transport scheme.
“All operational details will be done with the company’s budget, including the cost of construction of a jetty.
“This will not be related to the government’s budget,” said project manager U Htun Naing Lin from Tint Tint Myanmar.
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According
to U Maung Aung, secretary of the YRTA, the purpose of this water taxi
system is for commuters to avoid the congested roads on their way to
downtown Yangon. It is hoped that this scheme will save time and will
start running in May.
The company has already bought ships from Australia, Thailand and Jordan.
“We
can say all are ready to run but we are still testing – we are focusing
on safety. We will announce plans within the next week on how many
ships we will use, how many people the ships can carry, ticket pricing,
whether we are charging cash or via a prepaid system, and other details.
“We are in discussions regarding the start date for our operations,” said U Htun Naing Lin.
The regional government has already set rules and regulations that the company must obey, he added.
Taking
lessons from the YBS chaos and inconvenience, the government should be
more cautious about the procedures and should test them before
implementation. They should prioritise the safety of commuters, said MP U
Kyaw Zay Ya from Dagon township.
The idea of introducing water
taxis to relieve Yangon city congestion was floated by a regional MP
last May. Some, at that time, saw the scheme as a far-fetched proposal
to solve the traffic issue.
Daw Thida Maung, who made the
suggestion, said the Nga Moe Yeik River that flows though many townships
could help alleviate the daily gridlock.
“If water taxis would
be a service that runs on time and looks nicely decorated, people will
be interested in taking them. Now, 21 percent of commuters in Yangon use
buses. This number will then be reduced,” she said.
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Source - mmtimes
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