Heatwave lowers taxi drivers' income in Myanmar

Source: The Straits Times

YANGON - The scorching temperatures gripping many parts of Myanmar have significantly impacted people's daily lives, particularly affecting the livelihoods of taxi drivers.

The reports released by Myanmar's Department of Meteorology and Hydrology showed that many areas in the South-east Asian country have experienced temperatures surpassing 40 deg C in recent days.

As the mercury has soared across Myanmar, the Ministry of Health has issued advisories, urging citizens to take necessary precautions to safeguard their well-being.

The ministry also provided guidelines for staying safe during the extreme heat and minimised one's exposure to harmful ultraviolet radiation.

Mr U Maung Maung, a 65-year-old taxi driver in Yangon, shared his plight on April 3.

"My income has dropped by about one-third because fewer passengers go out during the hot weather," he said, adding that those who need to go out will usually do so in the evening.

"I have five family members. Some expenses have gone up because of the heat. I have to drink more water and electrolyte drinks."

Speaking of the rising temperatures, the driver of eight years said this year seems hotter than the last.

On the same day, another taxi driver in Yangon, Mr Soe Naing, 53, said: "It's 3.30pm now. I've been taking a rest here since around 1.15pm, trying to avoid the heat. After a rest in the shade, I find it hard to go out again."

The breadwinner of a family of four added that he has to take extra care of his health because of the heat.

"I don't drink cold water and have to drink electrolyte drinks," he said, adding the the temperature this year is the worst in his opinion.

"My income has decreased. If I turn on the air conditioner sometimes, I even lose money."

Mr Ko Myo, a 45-year-old taxi driver in Yangon told Xinhua that he echoes the same sentiments as the two other taxi drivers.

"I can't do much in the afternoons. It's been over two weeks. My income has dropped by about one third," he said.

"I have to buy more drinking water bottles... In the afternoons, I sometimes feel dizzy because I can't sleep well at night. I can't sleep because of the hot temperature and frequent power outages."

Most taxi drivers in Myanmar's Yangon cannnot work late at night because there are hardly any passengers after 8pm due to curfew restrictions.

In Yangon, the city's temperature has risen above 40 deg C in recent days, according to the country's weather agency.

Mr U Thein Tan, a cycle taxi driver in Mandalay, said his income has also been halved due to the hot weather.

Mandalay, the second-largest city in Myanmar, boasts a higher number of cycle drivers compared to car drivers.

On April 28, Mandalay had its hottest April day in 77 years, with the temperature reaching 44.8 deg C.

More than 50 people died of heatstroke in Mandalay in April, reported the local media.

April and May are typically the hottest months for Myanmar as the temperature spikes before monsoon season begins. XINHUA