ROAD TRAVEL REPORT: UNION OF MYANMAR (BURMA) KNOW BEFORE YOU GO… The country is slowly recovering from the May 2-3, o Drivers must 2008 cyclone. Conditions have improved greatly in have Yangon and some other areas. The Irrawaddy Delta passengers region still lacks many basic necessities. Access to the check to see if Irrawaddy Delta is restricted access to authorized relief it is safe to workers. pass another Defensive driving is essential, due to poor road car. conditions, dangerous driver and pedestrian behaviors, o If the steering inadequate lighting and the diverse traffic mix, wheel is on including many pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, the right, the bicycle rickshaws and animal-drawn carts, as well as bus doors are cars, buses and trucks. on the left, so Post-Nargis Cyclone recovery: Access to Ayeyarwady passengers (Irrawaddy) Delta is restricted except to authorized must board or relief workers. Roads in rural and remote areas may be disembark impassable. However, conditions are greatly improved using a traffic in Yangon (formerly Rangoon) and other areas. lane. About 80% of vehicles are imported from Japan or Hospital officials indicate that road crash fatalities and Thailand and have the steering wheel on the right. Such injuries statistics reported by police are much lower vehicles increase road crash risk in Myanmar, where than numbers of they people treat. driving is on the right. The problems this causes There are 13.73 fatalities per 10,000 vehicles in include: Myanmar compared to 2.0 in the United States and 1.5 in the United Kingdom. ROAD REALITIES DRIVER BEHAVIORS Motorcycles account for about 68% of the vehicle fleet. Right of way is usually respected. Fatalities, injuries, permanent disabilities and property The most common factors in road crashes in Yangon damages resulting from road crashes consume about are driver’s ignorance of driving regulations, careless 3% of Myanmar’s annual GDP. pedestrians and reckless trishaw drivers. Vehicles are often in poor working condition. GENERAL ROAD CONDITIONS Requirements for vehicle registration and driver’s Most transport in Myanmar is by road. licenses are inadequately enforced. Roads in more remote areas are in very poor condition. Many drivers have no driver’s license. Most roads outside of Yangon (Rangoon) are 1- or 2- Many motorcycles are unregistered. Numbers of lane, potholed, unpaved and unlit. registered motorcycles jumped from 479, 275 to 945,058 through one campaign. ROAD TRAVEL REPORT: MYANMAR 1 © ASIRT 2008 The traffic mix includes many pedestrians, bicycles, 3- Mawlamyinegyun, Pyapon, Kyaiklatt and Dedaye. wheeled trishaw, animals and slow-moving vehicles. Recovery efforts are progressing slowly. Drive cautiously. Be especially alert for pedestrians. In Yangon Division, primary and secondary roads and Registered and unregistered motorcycles account for bridges suffered little damage. After the storm, however, about 43% of the vehicle fleet. main transport routes were severely damaged by heavy Motorcyclists are involved in about 22% of road crash goods vehicles, bringing in relief supplies to affected fatalities. areas. Security checkpoints are common outside of tourist In coastal areas, secondary roads, bridges, trails and areas. bamboo foot bridges were damaged. Four Asian Highways pass through Myanmar: AH1, AH Repair of major roads is almost complete. Repair of 2, AH.J, and AH14, linking the country with China, secondary and tertiary routes is ongoing. India, Thailand and other countries via Yangon’s port. Major roads open in border areas: About 40% of these highways need to be upgraded to a o Lashio-Muse road minimum standard. o Lashio-Hsipaw-Loilem-Kengtung road Three GMS (Greater Mekong Sub-region) Economic o Tachilek-Kengtung-Mongla road. Corridors run through Myanmar. These corridors link national roads in GMS member countries and make Flood control embankments in hardest hit areas are transportation of goods and people through the region being repaired or rebuilt. New and restored more efficient. embankments are 1.5 meters higher than previous embankments. Joining the GMS-Economic Cooperation Program (Greater Mekong Sub-Region) has accelerated Restoration of inland waterways and replacement of improvements on Myanmar’s arterial roads. ferries are progressing, but current transport capacity is inadequate in affected rural areas. Border crossings being upgraded: Key road projects on Ayeyawaddy Peninsula: Maubin to o Myawaddy – Mae Sot Mawgyun, Mawlamyinegyun to Pinzalu, Laputta to o Tachileik – Mae Sai Pinzalu, Bogalay to Katonkani and Laputta to Teikzun o Ruili – Muse roads. Much of Chin State is mountainous. Some mountain o Completed roads will have concrete surfaces and ranges are 5,000 feet or more. All main roads in the facilities to prevent damage in storms and high tides. state are paved. Over 1,000 miles of road have been o Some roads will be 20-30 feet above the surrounding constructed in recent years. Some remote areas have all- ground, creating a “dyke” to prevent future severe weather access to the national road network. floods. A drainage system lets water from inland Most roads on the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) Delta are areas to escape to the sea. unpaved. Many villages are accessible by vehicle tracks o Completion of these road projects is expected in during the dry season. In the rainy season, all transport 2011. is by boat. The central lowlands are surrounded by high, rugged mountains. CYCLONE NARGIS UPDATE: On May 2-3, 2008, tropical cyclone Nargis severely damaged the road network. Ayeyarwady and Yangon Divisions on the Ayeyarwady Delta were hardest hit. Heaviest damage on the Delta occurred in Labutta and Bogale, and there was substantial damage in Ngaputaw, ROAD TRAVEL REPORT: MYANMAR 2 © ASIRT 2008 URBAN TRAVEL Few streets have lighting. Be alert for rickshaws and other slow-moving vehicles Street vendors are common in most cities. traveling in the middle of the road or against the flow of traffic. These vehicles may be overloaded. MANDALAY: CONDITIONS USEFUL INFORMATION Car taxis, trishaws and motorcycle taxis provide Taxis are available at taxi stands (specific locations where taxis wait transport. Many residents use trishaws or for passengers.) motorcycle taxis. Using them is not recommended Mandalay International Airport, 35 km south of the city in Tada-U. due to higher road risk. The trip to the city takes about 1 hour. MEIKTILA: CONDITIONS USEFUL INFORMATION Located near Naypyidaw, the city includes Shante Air Base, Myanmar’s main air force facility. An express train links the city with Naypyidaw. MAWLAMYINE: CONDITIONS USEFUL INFORMATION Seikah (also known as pedal cabs or three-wheeled The city is also known as Mawlamyaing (formerly called rickshaws) and motorcycle taxis provide transport. Moulmein). Traveling by seikah or motorcycle taxi is not Thanlwin bridge in Mawlamyine links Myanmar’s southeastern recommended due to higher road risk. region with Yangon. o Most drivers do not speak English. When The main bus terminal is near the train station in the Myay Ni possible, have your destination printed in Gone quarter, about 3 km from city center. Buses, passenger Myanmar script on a card. pickups, pedal cabs and motorcycle taxi provides transport to o Seikah provide transport, usually over short city center. distances (2-3 km). A seikah has two seats, back There is regular bus service to Yangon. to back. Agree on fare before departing. o Agree on fare before departing. A helmet is required between 8:30am and 5pm. If the driver does not have a helmet for you to use, wait for another taxi. NAYPYIDAW: CONDITIONS USEFUL INFORMATION There are few vehicles. Traffic is not congested. The capital of Myanmar. The main road to the city (Yangon-Naypyidaw Road) Cell phone service is not available. is 2-lane and heavily potholed. Train service is improving. Many roads are under construction. There is no international airport. Military leaders utilize a small Completed streets are wide and straight. local airport. Other travelers must come by road. There are few traffic lights and no street vendors. Photographing anything in the city is illegal. PYIN OO LWIN: CONDITIONS USEFUL INFORMATION Many of the country’s military facilities are in the city. Anikasan Airport, in Anikasan, a city just outside of Pyin Oo Lwin. Photographing anything is illegal. ROAD TRAVEL REPORT: MYANMAR 3 © ASIRT 2008 TAUNGGYI: CONDITIONS USEFUL INFORMATION The road to the city is narrow, steep and winding with Capital of Shan State. The city rests at an elevation of about 4,500 many sharp, hairpin turns. Construction of a second feet on a small plain on the side of a mountain. The plain is road for traffic descending the mountain has about 4 miles long and one mile wide. reduced road risk on this dangerous road. YANGON (RANGOON): CONDITIONS USEFUL INFORMATION The number of vehicles on the roads is increasing The names of many streets and parks were changed after Myanmar rapidly. gained independence. Many people have rejected these changes, Traffic congestion is increasing, partly due to large so getting directions can be very confusing. numbers of illegally imported, unregistered cars. Trishaws, bicycles and motorcycles are illegal in the city. Even main roads are often in poor condition. Many residents must rely on public transport. Available public Lighting is poor. transport is inadequate. There are frequent power outages.Traffic jams quickly Several private and public bus companies provide transport in develop when traffic lights stop working. Yangon. Buses are often crowded. o Recently, solar powered traffic lights were Most inter-city buses operate out of Aung Mingalar Terminal, installed at a few intersections. which is outside the city. Some of Yangon’s satellite towns are being rapidly Yangon Central Railway Station is the main train station. developed, while others lack good roads or basic city o Trains provide transport to cities throughout Myanmar. services, such as trash pick-up or 24-hour electricity. o Commuter rail service is available to the city’s satellite towns.