Myanmar junta responds to fuel crisis with bizarre alternate-day driving order

As a looming fuel shortage grips the country amid escalating conflict in the Middle East, Myanmar’s military junta has responded in a characteristically bizarre fashion—ordering millions of motorists to drive only on alternate days in an attempt to stretch dwindling fuel reserves. Late Tuesday night, the regime announced that starting March 7, most privately owned vehicles will be restricted under a nationwide “one-day-on, one-day-off” driving system based on registration numbers. Under the directive, cars and motorcycles—except electric vehicles (EVs)—will only be allowed on the roads every other day. Vehicles with even-numbered registration prefixes will be permitted to operate on even-numbered dates, while those with odd-numbered prefixes will be allowed to drive on odd-numbered dates. Authorities say the measure is designed to conserve fuel supplies as the country braces for a shortage, though they have not specified penalties for drivers who violate the order. Public transportation, taxis, fuel tankers, construction and cargo vehicles, ambulances, hearses, and garbage trucks are exempt from the restriction. For many residents, the decree reflects the junta’s increasingly erratic attempts to manage mounting crises. In Myanmar’s tightly controlled political environment, authorities have a long history of imposing unusual administrative rules to cope with systemic failures. The new fuel rationing scheme echoes the country’s long-standing practice of rotating electricity supplies between neighbourhoods when the national grid cannot meet demand. The fuel crunch intensified earlier this week when Thailand abruptly suspended fuel exports to neighbouring countries, triggering immediate supply fears in eastern Shan State. Importers in towns such as Tachileik and Kengtung have warned traders that current stocks may last no more than 10 days if shipments do not resume. The sudden halt sparked panic buying on Monday, with long queues forming at petrol stations and motorists crowding roads in search of remaining supplies. In several locations, traffic police temporarily shut down stations as crowds surged to secure fuel. The crisis is also being driven by developments far beyond Myanmar’s borders. Global oil prices have surged by an estimated 10 to 13 percent following joint US-Israel strikes on Iran that began on February 28, raising fears that Tehran could disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz—a strategic waterway that carries about one-fifth of the world’s oil. Myanmar is particularly vulnerable to global disruptions, as the country relies heavily on imported fuel from the Middle East and Russia.

Myanmar junta responds to fuel crisis with bizarre alternate-day driving order

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