BUS fares in Yangon are to rise to help cover the cost of converting the vehicles to run on compressed natural gas, the commander of the Yangon Division Traffic Police Force, Lieutenant-Colonel Aung Naing.

Lieutenant-Colonel Aung Naing is a member of the Yangon Division Supervisory Committee for Ensuring Smooth and Security Transport which decided on July 8 to increase the fares at a date yet to be fixed.

“We decided to increase fares because the cost of conversions is high and maintenance costs are also high,” he said.

Lieutenant-Colonel Aung Naing said the fares, which range from K10 to K20, would be increased to between K20 to K50.

“Bus lines will only be allowed to increase fares once all of the vehicles in their fleets had been converted to run on CNG,” he said.

Seventeen bus lines operated by the Yangon Division Buses Control Committee have converted their vehicles to operate on CNG. There are 109 bus lines, with a total of 2152 vehicles, running under the supervision of the YDBCC.

Lieutenant-Colonel Aung Naing said if any ticket collectors on buses not converted to CNG passed on the increase they would be liable to a fine of K6500 and one month’s imprisonment.

Passengers would be able to lodge complaints if the increase was charged on buses not converted to CNG, he said.

Lieutenant-Colonel Aung Naing said ferry buses operated by universities and colleges in Yangon would also increase fares once they were converted to run on CNG.

The ferry buses currently charge monthly fares ranging from K600 to K1200.
There are more than 1690 of the buses operated by 11 universities and two colleges around the capital and they carry 94,685 students a day.