Prior to the implementation of the new bus network, Yangon's bus network was overseen by the Yangon Motor Vehicles Supervisory Committee (colloquially referred to as Ma Hta Tha), and served a majority of the city's 2.8 million commuters daily.
A main reason for the overhaul of the bus network was the increasing number of complaints against bus operators for compromising passengers' safety in a bid to maximise profits, with bus drivers driving dangerously to pick up more commuters than their competition.