Broken bridges hinder transportation
Play
Broken bridges on the Indo-Myanmar Friendship Road, including the Kanmagyi Bridge, have been hindering border trading and public transportation.
While the road is smooth for driving, vehicles often face difficulties crossing the outdated Bailey bridges.
“Most of the bridges on this road are defective. Some drivers have to take detours but those roads are not good for travelling during the rainy season,” a local said.
The bridge near Kanmagyi Village collapsed two weeks ago when a six-wheel truck carrying cargo was crossing it. Nobody was injured in the incident.
He explained that cars coming from opposite sides of the road had to cross this bridge in turn as there was not any detour road while the locals crossed the stream with boats.
“The locals now have to spend more money as they have to travel through different routes. If a patient from Tamu wants to come to Kalay [Hospital], it will be quite difficult to travel,” he said.
According to a joint statement, India’s Border Road Task Force (BRTF) will upgrade the 71 old bridges built along the Tamu to Kalemyo Road.
Through the build-operate-transfer system, private companies will manage the road and collect toll fees.
Maungdaw reopens some schools
Some basic education schools in Maungdaw Township of Rakhine State are scheduled to reopen today, reports said.
Out of seven schools that will reopen, Basic Education High School (Maungdaw) will start classes only for matriculation students while four are primary schools and two middle schools, according to the township education officer.
Authorities are taking measures for security both inside and outside the school compounds after a supervisory committee to ensure peaceful education has been formed with town elders and responsible people from the schools.
Although Maungdaw Township has 159 schools, only seven are being reopened as of now.
The curfew, which was imposed in seven townships of Rakhine State, western Myanmar, on June 10 following riots in Maungdaw, has been reduced from 6pm to 6am to 7pm-5am as of August 10.
Myanmar Airways picks CRJ900s
Plans are under way to replace Myanmar Airways’ F-28 aircraft with CRJ-900s, according to the airline’s managing director.
U Than Tun said the F-28 aircraft had been in service for more than 30 years, adding that the Bombardier CRJ-900s are second to Boeing and Airbus in international reputation.
“They have a seating capacity of 90 and are very economical to operate locally and regionally.”
A total of 205 Bombardier CRJ-900s are now in operation worldwide. Compared with F-28s, the Canadian aircraft are more cost-effective, more advanced in technology and comfort for passengers.
Myanmar Airways has in service three F-28s, three ATRs, three MA-60s and two Beech-1900Ds. The F-28s are nearing the end of their lifespan, one at the end of this year and the other two next year. The decision to replace them was made due to their high maintenance costs and the difficulty in purchasing spare parts.
In December two years ago, Myanmar Airways replaced its F-27s with MA-60s.
