Myanmar curbs car use to save fuel due to Mideast war

YANGON: Myanmar's junta announced on Tuesday (March 3) that half of private vehicles would be ordered off the roads each day from later this week, to preserve oil stocks depleted by conflict in the Middle East.

Beginning on Saturday, cars with licence plates starting with even numbers will only be permitted to drive on even-numbered calendar days, leaving the odd-numbered days for vehicles with odd-numbered plates, a junta statement said.

The joint US-Israel attacks on Iran over the weekend and wider war across the Middle East have hampered oil supplies from the resource-rich region and sent global prices rocketing.

Myanmar imports 90 per cent of its fuel oil, the junta said in 2024.

"Due to current global political conditions and military conflicts in the Middle East, there are ongoing blockades and disruptions along the maritime trade routes used by oil tankers," the junta statement said.

Drivers must heed the rules "to ensure the systematic distribution and security of fuel", it added.

Electric vehicles, buses, taxis, cargo vehicles, emergency services and garbage trucks will be exempt.