Joint survey on India- Myanmar bus service begins

A joint team of officials from India and Myanmar began a field survey for the proposed Imphal-Mandalay passenger bus service.

Ten officials from Myanmar arrived in Imphal to survey the 579-kilometer-long road route from there to Mandalay together with the officials.

Manipur's Transport Secretary, M. Laxmi Kumar, said the team from Myanmar, led by Superintending Engineer of Public Works, Ministry of Construction of the Sagaing region, U. Tang Toe Aung, has come for a joint survey.

The team also includes Public Works, Ministry of Construction Deputy Commissioner from Tamu region, officials of Myanmar Traffic Police Force and Ministry of Rail Transport, he added.

Kumar said the bus service is in its final stage. The Indian government had already sent a draft report regarding the same to the government of Myanmar and is awaiting its response.

"Actually, since bilateral things are involved, it's the question of protocol only. Protocol is in the final stage, draft has been already finalised, was send across and it is in the stage of finalisation. I am told that it is with the Myanmarese side now, once they approve it, once they say okay, I think two sides will have to sit together on a very convenient date and with that it should be launching," said Kumar.

The Indian team would submit their report to the federal government for inking a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two nations.

A comprehensive proposal for introduction of Imphal-Mandalay bus service was submitted for the first time to the Ministries of DoNER (Development of North Eastern Region) and MoRTH (Ministry of Road Transport and Highways) in June 2009 after a public demand was passed by the Manipur Legislative Assembly on August 1, 2003.

The governments of India and Myanmar held an inter-ministerial technical meeting at Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, on June 13, 2014.