The base rate for taxi fare will be set at 600 kyats per kilometer, said U Lian Cin Mang, Co-Secretary of Yangon Region Public Transportation Committee (YRTC) on June 27.

He said that the price was set according to the Automobile Law enacted in 2015, and as presented by the Yangon City Taxi Association, it was set as a fair price on June 23.

"The starting price is 1,500 kyats and 600 kyats is set for each kilo. The Yangon City Taxi Association submitted us and YRTC announced on May 23. Mainly, we set a fair price so that the drivers cannot ask more from passengers. Now the price is set. As a basic rate for passengers, there was nothing in the past. We have stipulated that this can be set under the Automobile Law enacted in 2015. Now, there is no such basic rate set, so the drivers asked the taxi fare they liked. When this is set in this way, passengers can estimate the taxi fare by looking at the distance they want to go. If we don't set it like that, the app users set it as they want. It was calculated and presented by the Yangon City Taxi Association," he said.

According to Section 28 (e) of the Yangon Region's Rules for the Orderly Operation of Private Vehicles, the Yangon Region Motor Vehicle Supervision Committee has made sure that all taxis use meters and the installation and use of modern systems must be carried out successfully, and in Section (28) (j) stated that the rental rates of taxis, setting and amending of meter rates must be submitted to the Regional Motor Vehicle Supervision Committee.

“There is a kilometer limit on the taxi. If you set a meter, you may want to install a meter separately. But the price of that meter is high. You can see how many meters the car went on the dashboard. There is a record on the dashboard. And we can tell the distance. 8-mile is 13 kilometers away from Sule. I can calculate how much it will cost. Now this is a base rate. Passengers will also know this. Drivers will know this too. If the app makers can follow this, then it's done. To be successful, you have to do that. We do it to be mandatory. We want to make it mandatory. This is what we do as an organization. It must be followed. We have to follow that," he continued.

The total number of taxis operating in Yangon is more than 60,000.