A passenger keeps his eye on the meter in a Yangon taxi.

TAXIS in Yangon will be required to install fare meters starting January 1 under a directive issued last month by the Yangon Division Supervisory Committee Ensuring Smooth and Secure Transport, said a senior police official.

“Starting on January 1 we will prioritise taxis for installation of the meters, starting with vehicles running on compressed natural gas (CNG),” said Traffic Police Lieutenant Colonel Aung Naing, the commander of Yangon Division Wireless and Traffic Police Force.

“Within six months of the start of the year all taxis will be required to have meters to ensure that they all charge the same fares,” he said.

“The committee has not yet decided on the exact fare schedule for the meters but they will likely be similar to the fares charged by Parami taxis,” he said.

Parami taxies charge a base fee of K500, plus K150 for each mile driven and K50 for each minute spent idling.

Pol Lt Col Aung Naing said the committee will release a list of the taxis that will be given priority for meter installation.

“The taxi owners will have to deal directly with the two companies chosen by the committee to install the meters – Aye’s Family Company and Sakura Technical Services Corporation,” he said. “We have told the companies that they can start installations before January if they can import the meters quickly.”

The committee has set the price for the meters at K200,000, which will be payable in instalments although each company’s payment system might be different, he said.

“If other companies want to import meters and offer installation services, they can apply to the committee. The Myanmar Engineers Society will examine the meters they want to use to determine if they are suitable for the weather conditions of the country and then the committee will decide whether to allow the company to import them,” Pol Lt Col Aung Naing said.

Aye’s Family Company will import meters from South Korea while Sakura Technical Services Corporation will use China-made devices, both of which are guaranteed for one year.

The meters can be set for two different fare schedules – one for daytime and a more expensive schedule for night fares. Both companies plan to open service centres in Yangon.

A spokesperson from Sakura said the company will ensure that paper scrolls and ink required for their meters will be widely available at markets, stores and car accessory shops in Yangon.

“We will also distribute paper scrolls for our meters in supermarkets,” said a spokesperson from Aye’s Family Company.

A taxi driver in Yangon told The Myanmar Times that the metered fares should not be set by the committee only according to the costs of fuel.

“We have to spend a lot of money on other expenses, including tyres and repairs. These things should all be considered when the metered fares are set,” he said.

Bahan township resident Ma Thandar said she welcomed the introduction of metered taxis but added that it could open the fares to a different form of abuse.

“Drivers need to be honest about the fares. It would not be acceptable for a driver to take a longer route to the destination just to make more money,” she said.