By 2030, nearly 100 million tons of goods will be transported across Myanmar’s internal road, river and shipping networks, up from about 25 million tons in 2013, says the Ministry of Construction’s ‘Transport Network Master Plan’.
The plan, released on September 30, shows that Yangon Region accounts for the highest levels of internal transit, with 32 percent of all traffic, while traffic in Mandalay Region represents 22 percent of the total and Shan State displays 15 percent.
These figures align with the government figures that show the road running from Yangon to Mandalay to Muse, in northern Shan State, is the country’s major artery for transportation of goods.
Internal transit of goods in Rakhine and Kachin State both account for only one percent of the national total, while Kayah State’s numbers were found to be negligible.
Current figures show that in 2013, about 90.9 percent of goods were transported by road; about 7.8 percent by rail and about 1.2 percent by the waterways.
The Ministry of Construction estimates this ratio to remain about the same, with a small increase in the percentage of goods delivered by road and river, and a corresponding decline in the ratio of goods transported by rail.
