Reporter - Zar Zar No
Yangon, 10 October, 2007

Some of the highway bus lines have moved the departure time of their buses forward by an hour from the previously published time starting from this month, sources from the highway bus lines said.

An in-charge of a bus line said that the buses that used to leave Yangon for the provinces at 8:00 o'clock are now leaving at 7:00 while 7:00 o'clock buses now hit the road an hour earlier at 6:00. The buses coming in from the provinces can enter Yangon at 5:00 in the morning so there are no changes to the arrival times.

As there are fewer passengers now than before, some of the bus lines are using just three vehicles instead of the usual four a day although it is expected that the ticket sales will return to normal after Thadingyut holiday with the advent of the open season.

"This month, some highway bus lines have moved forward their departure time by an hour officially but some are still leaving late. But the latest bus must leave the terminal by 8:30 in the evening. The incoming buses can enter at 4:00 in the morning now. A few days ago the arrival time was set at 5:00 am so the cars had to stop for a while before coming in. It is more convenient now," a driver told the 7Day News Journal.

Lately, refueling has to be done at Aunglan instead of Pyay so it becomes more convenient for the bus operators. However, bus drivers suggest that maintenance of Pyay-Aunglan road is needed because they have to drive three hours for a two-hour trip and the upkeep cost of the cars have increased as the roads are in need of repair.

Source : 7Day News Journal, 18 October 2007