THE Yangon Division Traffic Rule Enforcement Committee has sharply increased fines for trading in vehicles outside the two designated areas in the capital, an official said last week.

Police Inspector Daw Ohn Gyi of the Traffic Police Force said the decision to increase the fines from June 7 was aimed at preventing vehicles from being traded in the streets and at unofficial zones.

She said the fine for a first offence had been increased from K1500 to K11,500.
“If we detect the same owner selling in the streets a second time the fine will be K21,500 and for a subsequent offence it will rise to K31,500,” she said.
Police Inspector Daw Ohn Gyi said the fine did not apply to the buyers of vehicles.

“The reason we increased the penalties is because buying and selling vehicles in the streets causes traffic congestion and could result in accidents,” she said.

The areas designated by Yangon City Development Committee are the Hantharwaddy car trading zone in Kamaryut township and the Thanthumar car trading zone in Thingangyun township.

U Khin Maung Linn, the chairman of the supervisory committee at the Hantharwaddy zone, the biggest vehicle market in Yangon, said there had been a big rise in trading activity since the fines were announced.