A lower house parliamentarian from the ruling National League for Democracy raised a question of how the government plans to solve traffic jam and parking lots problems in Myanmar’s commercial hub, Yangon, at the session of lower house parliament in Nay Pyi Taw on November 30.

Lower House MP Kyaw Kyaw Oo from Hlaing Constituency in Yangon Region said: “The major difficulty is that Yangon lack sufficient parking spaces. The number of carparks didn’t increase even though Yangon is now still seeing rising number of vehicles. There have even been violent quarrels and even murder cases from fighting over parking space. In some places, arguments caused by car parking problems account for 68 per cent. It is crucial for the government to construct parking lots in the public areas and high-rise buildings.”

“The major problem the people from all strata of society in Yangon are facing a traffic jam problem. There is a loss of K60 million based on the calculation of the minimum hourly pay of K600 when 100,000 people are stuck in traffic jam for one hour. Our citizens are losing their valuable time and workforce every day. Freight costs have increased from 15 to 20 per cent.

There are many reasons of traffic jams. The major problems are weak public transport system, weak vehicle management system, lack of traffic rules, a shortage of parking lots, narrow roads due to roadside vendors. The government needs to solve these problems,”  added Kyaw Kyaw Oo.

“I raised this question in order to know the government’s plan to solve traffic jams and parking lots problems, putting aside the underground city and elevated expressway projects.

On behalf of Yangon Region government, Deputy Minister for Transport and Communications Kyaw Myo said Yangon was facing traffic jam problem due to an increase in the number of vehicles and population. Before 2010, there were 1,600,000 vehicles. The number of vehicles has increased rapidly since the government relaxed the vehicle import policy in September, 2011. Until October, 2018, the number of vehicles reached more than 1,060,000 nationwide. There are more than 530,000 registered vehicles in Yangon.

The ministry is working to solve traffic jam and parking lot problems by laying down the long-term plan for the emergence of a suitable public transport system that would help reduce the use of private cars.