Drivers are urging the junta to reduce tolls at checkpoints along the highway connecting Putao Town and the Kachin State capital, Myitkyina.
Some junta-operated tollgates on the Myitkyina–Putao Road are charging exorbitant fees of up to 4 million MMK for large trucks and 2 million MMK for passenger vehicles, according to Pho Lone (pseudonym), a driver on the route.
“The toll for a large truck at the main junta-operated tollgate at the entrance to Myitkyina is about 3 million MMK. At Palana gate, it’s around 800,000 MMK, while at Lamongzut gate it ranges from 700,000 to 800,000 MMK. And at Tanghpe gate, the toll is roughly 1 million MMK,” he said.
Truck drivers say the junta has set up seven tollgates along the Putao–Myitkyina Road, with total toll costs reaching up to 4 million MMK per trip. Truck drivers say they have to pay around 5 million MMK per trip at tollgates operated separately by the junta and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), and are calling for the junta to reduce its toll charges.
In addition to high toll fees, truck drivers said they face fines ranging from 300,000 to 500,000 MMK if stopped by traffic police in towns and urban areas.
“The profit is very low because of the tolls. It feels like we are just working hard to earn money to pay them. Now the net income from a truck trip is only around 1 million to 1.5 million MMK. When maintenance costs are factored in, it is no longer economically viable. Even a flat tire now costs about 1 million MMK,” said Ko Pho Tote (synonym), another truck driver in the area.
Toll collection at junta-operated tollgates was about 3 million MMK until November 2025 but has gradually increased to around 4 million MMK.
“The number of tollgates has not increased, but the toll fees have gone up. Now all the tollgates are charging very high amounts,” Ko Pho Tote explained.
In addition to junta-operated tollgates along the Putao–Myitkyina Road, there is also a major tollgate run by the KIA, where drivers are reportedly charged up to 2 million MMK when passing through.
“The KIA tollgate is near Teinyanzut Village. It charges around 1.5 million to 2 million MMK for large trucks. There are also some smaller gates, but the tolls there are very low, about 10,000 or 20,000 MMK. After that, along the route through Tsumpiyang and Tanja, all the tollgates are operated by the junta,” another truck driver said.
The junta’s excessive tolls have driven sharp increases in the prices of rice, fuel, basic food items, and other consumer goods in Putao and Naungmon.
Putao, located in a remote area of northern Myanmar, relies heavily on the Myitkyina–Putao Road for the transport of goods.
The KIA has controlled Sumprabum Town, through which the road passes, since May 2024. The rest of the road remains under the junta’s control.
