Myanmar to Curb Private Vehicle Use as Fuel Shortages Emerge

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(Bloomberg) — Myanmar’s military government will impose limits on private vehicles starting Saturday to conserve fuel as disruptions to Middle East shipping routes threaten the country’s energy supplies.

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Private cars and motorcycles — except electric vehicles — will only be allowed on the roads every other day based on their license plate numbers, with even-numbered plates operating on even dates and odd-numbered plates on odd dates, according to the ruling National Defence and Security Council.

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“Armed conflicts in the Middle East have caused obstructions and blockades along maritime traffic used for importing fuel by oil tankers,” the council said in a statement Wednesday.

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Myanmar relies heavily on imported fuel, leaving it vulnerable to disruptions in global oil supply routes as tensions in the Middle East threaten shipments. However, junta spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun said in a statement that the notice didn’t mean Myanmar lacks fuel reserves, adding the measure was issued as a precaution to prepare for possible longer-term disruptions and to ensure fuel is used more systematically.

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The country has about 60 million gallons of gasoline and nearly 70 million gallons of diesel in reserve, enough for about 40 days of nationwide consumption, according to the spokesman. Daily fuel consumption is about 3.2 million gallons.

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“Now there are two oil tankers at the port awaiting unloading, while 14 others already purchased are en route to Myanmar,” Zaw Min Tun said. The vessels are expected to dock at ports in Yangon region in the coming days.

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Even so, shortages have already begun to surface in parts of the country. Long queues formed at filling stations in cities including Mandalay, about 245 kilometers (152 miles) north of the capital Naypyidaw, while supplies tightened in Shan State after imports from neighboring Thailand were halted, local media reported.

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Zaw Min Tun urged people not to panic as the nation mainly imports fuel from Singapore and Malaysia, where refineries continue operating despite the Middle East conflict. “We don’t see any possibilities of fuel shortages here,” he said. Filling stations will remain open as usual.

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Meanwhile, public transport, fuel trucks and other essential services will be exempt from the curbs, which will remain in place until further notice, the council said. Authorities also warned against hoarding or reselling fuel at higher prices, saying violators will face legal action.

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(Updates throughout with more details and comment from junta spokesman.)

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