YANGON, May 5 (NNN-MNA) – The scorching temperatures gripping many parts of Myanmar significantly impacted people’s daily lives, particularly affecting the livelihoods of taxi drivers.
Reports released by Myanmar’s Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, showed that many areas in the country experienced temperatures surpassing 40 degrees Celsius in recent days.
As the mercury soared across Myanmar, the Ministry of Health has issued advisories, urging citizens to take necessary precautions, to safeguard their well-being and providing guidelines for staying safe during extreme heat and minimising exposure to harmful ultraviolet radiation.
U Maung Maung, a 65-year-old taxi driver in Yangon, shared his plight on Friday, “My income has dropped by about one-third because fewer people go out during the hot weather.”
“Only a few people go out when it’s hot. Some worry about the heat. If they need to go out, they usually go in the evening,” he said.
“I have five family members. Some expenses have gone up because of the heat. I have to drink more water and electrolyte drinks,” he added.
Speaking of the rising temperatures, the seasoned 65-year-old driver, with eight years of experience in the business, said, “This year seems hotter than the last.”
Another taxi driver in Yangon, Soe Naing, 53, said, “It’s 3:30 p.m. now. I’ve been taking a rest here since around 1:15 p.m., trying to avoid the heat. After a rest in the shade, I find it hard to go out again.”
“Because of the heat, I have to take extra care of my health. I don’t drink cold water and have to drink electrolyte drinks,” he said.
“The temperature this year is the worst. My income has decreased. If I turn on the air conditioner sometimes, I even lose money,” the 53-year-old breadwinner of a four-member family said.
Ko Myo, a 45-year-old taxi driver in Yangon, also said, “I can’t do much in the afternoons. It’s been over two weeks. My income has dropped by about one third.”
“I have to buy more drinking water bottles. I have to drink electrolyte drinks. 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,” he said.
Most taxi drivers in Myanmar’s Yangon can’t work late at night because there are hardly any passengers after 8.00 p.m., due to curfew restrictions, the taxi drivers said.
In Yangon, the temperatures have been above 40 degrees Celsius in recent days, according to the country’s weather agency.
U Thein Tan, a cycle taxi driver in Mandalay, said, “My income has halved in the recent hot days.” Mandalay, the second-largest city in Myanmar, boasts a higher number of cycle drivers compared to car drivers.
“Only people who have to go out were out in the hot afternoons. Most people avoided going out because of the heat in the recent hot days,” he said.
On Apr 28, Mandalay had its hottest Apr day in 77 years, with the temperature reaching 44.8 degrees Celsius. More than 50 people died of heatstroke in Mandalay in Apr, media reported.
Apr and May are typically the hottest months for Myanmar, as the temperature spikes before monsoon season begins.– NNN-MNA
