Cars now have to pay a total of 300,000 MMK in tolls to about 10 checkpoints to travel in Kachin State from Myitkyina City to Putao Town.
The 10 checkpoints on the approximately 205 mile road (about 330 km) between Myitkyina City and Putao to the north have mostly been set up by the junta, but some have also been set up by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA).
Previously, the checkpoints charged a toll of 1,000 to 2,000 MMK, but now the minimum toll at each checkpoint is 5,000 MMK per vehicle and the average charge is 20,000 MMK. But additional charges are levied if cargo is being carried and the total for all the tolls can be as high as 300,000 MMK according to a driver who is familiar with the road who spoke to MNJ.
He said: “Previously, the toll at each checkpoint was only 1,000 or 2,000 MMK per vehicle, but now it's at least 5,000 MMK. There are additional tolls depending on the goods loaded onto vehicles. On average, the toll for each checkpoint and tollgate is now around 20,000 MMK.”
Cargo trucks now need to budget, depending on their cargo, for a total cost of between 900,000 MMK and 1.2 million MMK for a round trip between Myitkyina and Putao, including tolls.
But now, the cargo on trucks is subject to fewer checks than previously and, unlike before, drivers no longer need to present a list of the goods they are carrying.
Bus services on the road between Myitkyina and Putao have also seen a steep decline in passenger numbers. Now the only people travelling on buses are older people as younger people are too scared to travel on the buses following rumours that younger passengers are being detained at checkpoints and forcibly conscripted into the junta army.
The Myitkyina to Putao Road, closed during the first week of March 2024 due to fighting between the KIA and the junta. It was partially reopened in June 2024 after negotiations between the two sides. Currently, the road is fully open and accessible but the tolls are much higher than before it closed.
Currently on the Myitkyina Town to Putao Road places where there are checkpoints include at: Palana Village Police Station and the villages of Lamonzwut, Myitsone, Tiyangzug, Sumprabum, Hponkyan, Tsumpiyang, Tanja, Longshayang, and Mulashidi.
