Yangon bus owners call for reform of industry body

Yangon bus owners call for reform of industry body

By Aye Nyein Win   |   Sunday, 04 August 2013

Change could be on the way to the Yangon Region's decrepit bus system with bus owners pushing for an overhaul of the city's Supervisory Committee for Motor Vehicles, better known by its Myanmar acronym of Ma Hta Tha.

Transport company owners, who have written to the Yangon Region government to request changes to the committee, say that previous overhauls in May 2011 and June 2012 failed to address their concerns. At a meeting last week they said they want to reform how the committee is managed to make it more democratic and independent of the government.

"The committee includes members who were assigned to it by the former government," said U Min Zaw, who operates a bus on the No 43 special line. "The committee seemed to be half made up of government people. It means we can't do business ... the way we want to."

Ma Hta Tha member U Han Soe agreed that many bus operators resent the strong influence the government wields on the committee.

"We have not had the chance to debate anything because the system is very centralised. The present Ma Hta Tha committee is weak in management and strongly controlled by the government members," he said.

He said that bus operators are taxed 3 percent by Ma Hta Tha, with the money used to cover management expenses and develop the sector, but owners say the contributions have not been used effectively.

"We want to abolish and reform the committee in line with democratic principles and the constitution," he said.

Yangon bus owners are pointing to similar reforms in other states and regions to support their case.

"In Mandalay Region, the government reformed its Ma Hta Tha with bus owners, while the Mon State government formed a Kyaikhtiyo mountain vehicles club with owners," U Han Soe said.

He said reform of Ma Hta Tha was even more important in Yangon Region because of its large population and multitude of bus lines. He said the smooth operation of a private bus network should be a priority for the regional government.

Daw Nyo Nyo Thin, a Yangon Region Hluttaw representative for Bahan, agreed that the city's bus supervisory committee is not transparent and should be reformed.

"I put a proposal to the Yangon Region Hluttaw to reform Ma Hta Tha about 18 months ago," she said. "I want the committee to be reformed to allow it to work independently."

Ma Hta Tha boss U Tin Htut declined to comment on the reform push but said he would continue to act on the orders of the officials who appointed him.

He has personally come under fire from bus owners who accuse him of breaking the rules on the No 31 line to benefit his own buses.

The owners of other buses on the route are demanding K20 million in compensation and have launched five civil cases against U Tin Htut, as well as a criminal case for alleged forgery.

Operator U Ko Ko Naing said the case showed Ma Hta Tha was guilty of double standards.

"We have launched legal action against U Tin Htut," he said. "If our conductors illegally charge K50 extra on a fare, they will be charged K30,000 and suspended for at least one month. But the department has not taken any action against U Tin Htut over our allegations. Why?

"Whatever happens [regarding this case] we want to express our desire to reform the committee."

The Yangon Region Ma Hta Tha oversees 120 bus lines, which are serviced by 2000 buses owned by more than 100 companies.

Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2013/08/10/yangon-bus-owners-call-for-reform-of-industry-body/