Myanmar’s junta announced the launch of a sweeping fuel rationing system for private vehicles on Wednesday, blaming disruptions to the global energy supply chain caused by escalating hostilities in the Middle East.
The country’s National Defence and Security Council (NDSC) said the new regulations, effective March 7, were a response to “global political situations” and armed conflicts in the Middle East, which have obstructed oil shipments.
Under a new “even-odd” licensing scheme, even-numbered plates will only be allowed to drive on even dates, and odd-numbered plates on odd dates, the announcement said. Electric vehicles and electric motorcycles are exempt.
The NDSC warned businesses and individuals not to hoard fuel for resale at inflated prices, saying that violators would be prosecuted.
Global shipping costs have surged amid an ongoing US and Israeli war against Iran and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting tankers bound for Asian ports.
Myanmar is heavily reliant on refined fuel imports from Singapore and Malaysia, which serve as regional processing hubs for Middle Eastern crude.
The disruptions have already caused shortages, though secondary supplies are available via Russia and its neighbour Thailand.
Residents in Yangon, Myanmar’s commercial hub, expressed concern that the rationing plan would drive up the cost of living and further complicate daily life in a city already plagued by power outages.
“Operating vehicles on alternating even and odd days based on licence plate numbers is an incredibly frustrating system for people in a city like Yangon, where we depend so heavily on cars,” said a Yangon resident.
Skyrocketing prices have already made it difficult to meet demand, raising questions about the extent of the country’s strategic reserves, he added.
Fuel supplies in the border town of Myawaddy ran out as early as the evening of March 3, forcing local stations to temporarily shut down and residents to queue up at gas stations in Thailand’s Mae Sot, according to a resident.
“Since yesterday, many people have been crossing over to the Mae Sot side to fill up their tanks. I went to stand in line myself and saw a massive number of vehicles queuing up at Thai gas stations,” the resident said.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since 2021, when the military ousted the elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
