By Lalnun – Drivers of “tricycle motorbike” taxis—motorbikes with a sidecar—formed a union in Sagaing Region’s Kalay on Tuesday.
Led by members of the 88 Generation Open Society Institute, drivers of the vehicles held a meeting at Kalay Township’s city hall on Tuesday and established their union.
“We heard that the regional government wouldn’t allow tricycle motorbikes in the transportation system in the future. It should not be like this. That is why we formed a union,” U Thaung Naing Thu, an 88 Generation Open Society Institute member told Khonumthung News, referring to a news leak that the authorities would ban these vehicles from the roads.
He added that the next step would be applying an official transportation license for the organization’s drivers from the Sagaing regional government.
“There are many families who rely on these tricycle-motorbike drivers. We are trying our way to eliminate poverty in this country. If we have a systematic organization, we can make demand and negotiate for our rights,” U Thuang Naing Thu said. Kalay is home to an estimated 1,000 drivers of motorbike taxis with sidecars.