A South Korean company is to link up with local businesses to start up a bus line in downtown Mandalay.
Aung Ye Htut, director of Myanmar Gaon Co, said Namsong Co would provide the service, the Myanmar Times reported on Thursday.
In April, the Mandalay Region transport minister agreed in principle to run a bus line in downtown Mandalay, he said.
It has not yet been decided how many buses will run, and along what routes. The frequency of the buses would depend on demand, he said.
However, Aung Ye Htut said, “there will be plenty of buses.”
Myanmar Gaon – a conglomerate of Mandalay businesses and Namsong – will be based in Mandalay. The company will also operate car showrooms and sell spare parts as well as running a public transport system, said Aung Ye Htut.
“We are going to start the business in July. If the bus line proves a success, it could reduce the number of motorcycles on the roads,” he said.
Myanmar’s second-largest city currently has 850 registered buses across 59 lines, but residents rely less on buses than their counterparts in Yangon due to the prevalence of motorcycles and bicycles in the city.
Motorcycles have been banned in Yangon’s urban area since the early 2000s, though they are the ride of choice for many in the rest of the country.