In Pakokku, fuel prices on the informal market have risen to over 10,000 kyats per liter by late March, while queues at fuel stations have grown significantly longer, according to local reports.

Due to the high number of customers lining up, fuel is being sold in limited quantities, forcing people to wait for extended periods.

“Today I came to queue at a New Day station. I arrived as early as 4 a.m., but there were already nearly a hundred vehicles ahead of me. At the station, 92-octane fuel costs just over 4,000 kyats per liter. For my motorbike (Oway), I can only buy about 20,000 kyats worth, which is around four bottles. If I buy outside, one bottle costs at least 10,000 kyats. If the fuel is mixed or poor quality, my motorbike won’t start. So I have to ask around which stations have fuel and go queue there,” said a motorbike taxi driver.

Residents in Pakokku mainly purchase fuel from stations such as New Day, PT, TTS, Yaung Ma Sone, and Thiha. However, on some days, fuel shortages mean that sales cannot be made at all.

“We have to ask each other which station still has fuel before going. Before prices increased, a motorbike could only get fuel worth up to 6,000 kyats. Some stations limit sales to just 2,000 or 3,000 kyats. The number of stations doesn’t match the demand in the town, and people rely heavily on motorbikes. If we buy fuel from outside, sometimes the bike won’t start the next day due to poor quality, and we end up spending more money on repairs. Even though it takes a long time, we prefer to queue at the larger stations,” said another resident.

Some residents have even traveled to nearby Nyaung-U Township to purchase fuel, as waiting times in Pakokku have become too long.