Uncertainty looms over Imphal-Mandalay bus service
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 17 2022: The agreement reached between India and Myanmar to launch a Coordinated bus service between Imphal and Mandalay is unlikely to be translated into action any time soon as the details of the project have not been worked out till today.

Sources informed the two countries expressed desire to launch a coordinated bus service after the opening of border gates and signing of land border crossing agreement but the same has been put on hold due to the Covid situation in Manipur and after the military coup in Myanmar.

Earlier, the Government of Manipur sent a recommendation to Seven Sisters Holidays to launch the bus service in collaboration with the Shwe Mandalay Express Company Limited based in Yangon, informed the sources.

As per the advice of the Manipur Government, the Seven Sisters Holiday took up certain measures to launch the proposed bus service successfully.

A series of meetings were also convened to launch the project in the presence of Consulate General of India in Myanmar and officials concerned of the two countries, the sources added.

A diplomatic conference was also held at Imphal in this regard.

Continuing that a team of 27 officials of the Centre and the State Government took out a trial run along the 579 Kms long Imphal-Man-dalay route in December 2015 to take stock of the road conditions after reaching a consensus with the Myanmar Government, the source maintained that three agreements were signed regarding the bus service.

The third agreement was signed between Shwe Mandalay Express Company Limited and Seven Sisters Holidays on February 15, 2020, it said and added that the project was supposed to be flagged off on April 8, 2020 .

The Imphal-Mandalay bus service would operate at least three days a week and if required, it can be extended up to seven days a week as per the agreement.

Even the bus which was supposed to be flagged off from Imphal was procured by taking a loan in advance, said the source.

Saying, that Chief Minister N Biren made an announcement about launching the bus service at the State Assembly but the project was put on hold due to Covid pandemic, the sources further informed that the project couldn't be implemented despite the improvement in Covid situation due to the volatile situation in Myanmar.

If the bus service is launched as envisioned by the two countries, there would be significant improvement in bilateral relations between the two countries apart from boosting the tourism sector.

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