Armed groups operating checkpoints along the strategically important Mandalay-Myitkyina route linking the Sagaing Region to Kachin State have demanded increased sums of money, according to drivers and travelers.
One driver reports that at the junta checkpoint at Sagaing Bridge, the starting point of the strategic road, small vehicles are now being charged up to 60,000 kyat per vehicle.
“At Sagaing Bridge alone, it quickly costs 50,000 to 60,000 kyat. That’s for small cars, like light commercial vehicles, not to mention large trucks. There is also the Koe Pin-Shwebo checkpoint. The others charge around 2,000 kyat each. The most important checkpoints are Sagaing Bridge and Koe Pin. They charge about 300,000 kyat for a round trip,” says a truck driver from Mandalay-Myitkyina.
Currently, only this one strategic route from Mandalay to Kachin State is usable, and drivers say they have to pay the most at the junta checkpoints.
Drivers also report paying between 5,000 and 40,000 kyat for small vehicles at checkpoints operated by resistance forces in various towns along the strategic road.
The Mandalay-Myitkyina road is also partially closed due to fighting around Indaw town in Sagaing region. Drivers say they now have to pay resistance groups to use detour routes.
Due to the frequent road closures and demands for money, transportation costs have more than tripled.
Previously, the regular 10-hour journey from Mandalay to Myitkyina now takes two nights and three days (72 hours), with prices for passengers and freight having tripled.
“At the moment, the journey takes two nights and three days. The fare is 150,000 kyat per person. For cargo, it’s 4,500 kyat per viss for 10 viss. All cargo is charged by weight,” says another driver from Mandalay-Myitkyina.
The Mandalay-Myitkyina strategic road is 359 miles long and has no less than 50 checkpoints operated by junta forces and resistance groups. Tolls along the route are reportedly charged differently by different groups.
Sent by Shanni Voice.