Myanmar imported cars update. Ordinary civilians from Myanmar are now allowed to import used cars, thanks to the implementation by the new government of Myanmar, which started about 4 months ago and since new cars without license plates are common scene on the roads ofYangon, former capital city ofMyanmar. Government is trying its best to provide license plates but the number of vehicles imported far exceeds the capability of current work force. “It only took about 2 weeks to get the license plates with the newly imported cars 2 or 3 months ago. But now we have been waiting for a month and still haven’t got registered.” one of the newly imported car owners said.
Even though it is illegal to drive a car without a license plate inMyanmar, car owners are being very active with their newly imported cars and using it everywhere. “It is dangerous for other car drivers and citizens. If something happened, we don’t have any evidence with the car as they don’t have any license plate and they would surely run away” a driver said. “At night there are illegal car races too. I have seen car races two or three times. They are racing on the main roads. Very dangerous, they never slow down and they are usually like gangsters. So we, taxi drivers, need to take extra caution with those illegal car races and non-licensed cars.” a night shift taxi driver said.
Actually the government is producing temporary license plates within a week from the imported date, but it is on a sheet of white paper meant to be put on the windshield. So even though car owners put it on the windshield, it cannot be easily seen from the outside of the vehicle. Moreover, in the mean time, cars with temporary license can only drive their cars for the registration purpose.
For the past 20 years, the government had closed doors to imported cars in Myanmar. One of the car owners who imported car during that period explained that they had to get the temporary license plates before getting their car from seaport. And those license plates needed to be installed properly before driving around on roads. Not like the paper temporary license plate like the one we are seeing these days.
It is true that the government needs to shorten license registration processing time but it is not only concerned with ruling Myanmar government. Some car owners purposely are not trying at all to get the license plate. Most of them want their cars with newer license numbers and that is the reason why they are running away from the registration.
Currently, traffic police promulgated that car owners will be fined if caught with non-licensed car. Or even if the car has temporary license, its owners need to pay fine if they are found during the non-office hours or not on the route to the registration office. Since the fine is only over 50,000 Kyats, about 62 US dollars, most of the car owners are paying the mere amount happily and residents are still worried about the unwanted road accidents.
