Migrant workers return, traffic jams occur on Friendship Bridge

Migrant workers return, traffic jams occur on Friendship Bridge
Published 6 March 2019
Ko Shw Thein (Myawaddy)

Traffic jams are occurring daily on the Friendship Bridge and surrounding areas due to Myanmar migrant workers coming back home for Thingyan.

As the Myanmar New Year festival approaches, migrant workers are coming back to their homes in droves as well as vehicles carrying commodities causing traffic jams every day. Although authorities from Myanmar and Thailand have instructed only 6 cargo vehicles to stop on the Myawaddy Friendship Bridge in light of long lasting durability of the bridge, vehicles parked on the bridge form Thailand nearly fills the entire bridge.

"There are about 400 or 500 trucks coming from Thai side. These trucks have to stop at the Myanmar side to make documentation. It takes 5 minutes for each truck. At the same time, there are also many travelers going to Thailand. That's why traffic jams frequently occur," said an official from the Immigration Department.

From the Myawaddy Friendship Bridge to the roads in downtown areas of Myawaddy are packed with vehicles due to migrant workers returning home. Buying tickets for express cars to get to other places after arriving in Myawaddy is also a difficult prospect at this time.