May 15.
Hakha-Yangon passenger buses have been operating regularly despite delays, a bus company official told Chin World Media.
“This year, we at Hakha-Mann Bus Terminal have been operating passenger buses at least three times a week. Normally, it takes three to four days on the road. Now, we will be operating both small passenger buses and minibuses, so the frequency of large buses may be reduced. The smaller buses will be faster. The fare for large buses is 170,000 kyats. For minibuses, it is 200,000 kyats,” said an official at the Hakha-Mann Bus Terminal, which operates the Hakha-Yangon route.
Normally, the Hakha-Gangaw-Mandalay-Yangon route is used, but there have been times when the route has been bypassed due to security concerns. Currently, Hakha is operating regularly from Mandalay to Yangon, but the continued operation depends on regional security and weather conditions, according to a driver who drives the Hakha line.
Regarding the situation on the Kalay-Hakha road, a tourist said, “They say the fare from Kalay to Hakha has dropped. It is now 150,000 kyats. We can’t sleep on the road like before. We have to travel all day. We arrived in one day. We are not allowed to cross into Falam town. Before reaching Falam from Kalay, we have to turn around at the Lailun village junction. We passed about three villages and then took the Rih-Falam road to the Falam-Hakha main road. There are many exits at Shwe Lwin Pyin and Taung Tan Myay gates. The restaurants in Varlung village, Lungbang village, Vaar Bridge and Laiva village have also reopened. There are many gates of the revolutionary forces on the road,” he told Chin World Media.
“The buses running between Kalay and Tetin are charging 55,000 kyats per person. It’s the same for both the up and down journeys. The tolls on the road have been reduced, there are none,” said a bus worker who is currently running the Kalay-Tetin route.
Currently, the fare between Kalay and Falam Township, on the Indian border, and Rih Town is 150,000 kyats.
Before the military took power in 2021, the fare for the Kalay-Yangon route was 35,000 kyats with an overnight stay, while the fare for the Kalay-Hakha route was between 15,000 and 20,000 kyats, according to travelers.
In December 2024, to travel from Kalay to Hakha, one had to spend the night on the Kalay-Rih-Rih Junction (Falam)-Hakha route, bypassing the town of Ridkhawdar. Each passenger paid 300,000 kyats, making the Kalay-Hakha fare a record high.
