Following the US-Israel attacks on Iran and the inability of the attackers to contain the conflict, Sri Lanka is grappling with a familiar difficulty, as the island is once again pushed into a fuel crisis.
For many Sri Lankans, the situation seems like an eerie déjà vu, with memories of the foreign currency crisis-induced fuel shortages of the recent past coming to mind. It seems that Sri Lanka has not learnt from its past or is moving too slowly in doing so.
With measures set in place by the Government to mitigate the strain on available stocks, including public holidays and QR-based odd-even fuel distribution systems, The Sunday Morning spoke to those affected by the constraints placed on them by the shortages.
T.B. De Silva, 58, from Borella, who works as a three-wheeler driver, said that he had not raised his fares yet, as fuel was generally available at filling stations, noting that the use of the QR-code system varied depending on the station.
“I think the amount of fuel we get is enough. It is not fair of us to take advantage of people. For example, we cannot charge them Rs. 300 or Rs. 400 for a trip when the meter registers the fare as Rs. 140.” He emphasised that he faced no issues at present, although he could not estimate how many litres of fuel he used per week, as it depended on various factors, with the QR code limit allowing him to provide his services for a week.
In contrast to De Silva, Chandran from Rajagiriya, who is also a three-wheeler driver, said that he had raised his fares slightly to cope with the situation. “I don’t even get to see my children. I wake up in the morning with a lot of tension,” he lamented. Chandran blamed the present circumstances on unfulfilled Government promises, noting that it had become difficult for him to sustain his livelihood amid the crisis.
Adding to Chandran’s reflection, Sanjeewa, 42, from Rattanapitiya, said that if the QR code was implemented at the announced limit, three-wheeler drivers who drove for hire, such as himself, would not be able to operate.
He said: “We cannot really blame the Government for the situation, but it is at fault for not maintaining a certain amount of fuel stock. If it had an emergency stock of fuel for about three months, this wouldn’t have happened. The general public cannot trust this Government, even if it says stocks are available. The moment one shipment is delayed, we have petrol queues. When the Israel-Iran conflict started, there were petrol queues that night itself.”
Sanjeewa also noted that he had not increased his fares yet. His comments are reflective of the trust deficit between much of the population and the State.
Three-wheelers are an invaluable part of the public’s transport network, enabling many to use them for emergencies, last-mile drop-offs, or even as school/office transport services.
Speaking on the heavy impact of the situation on public transport workers earning daily wages, bus driver Anura Kalubowela said: “I parked the bus at 9 p.m. and only got fuel by 6.30 the next morning. Otherwise, the queue will be too long and we will not be able to do our rotations on time.”
He explained that buses would only be able to operate for four to five days per week, adding that drivers and conductors would lose their wages on idle days. To him, the introduction of the odd-even vehicle number plate fuel pumping system creates further complications and limits daily operations.
Additionally, delivery riders claimed that the fuel quota provided was not nearly enough and made their daily operations increasingly difficult, affecting their ability to work and earn an income. Namal, 28, a delivery rider performing deliveries for both Uber and PickMe, said that the allocated fuel quota was far from adequate to sustain his work for a week.
“We only get 5 litres per week, but for one day alone I use around 4 litres. I have a small amount of fuel stocked at home and I try to refuel whenever I can. That is how I manage to continue to work,” he said, noting that if he were to run out of fuel, he would not be able to undertake deliveries since he had no other solutions.
Parents and teachers express concerns
The education sector is facing the brunt of the situation, from educators to pupils and their families to those running school transport services.
Shivanthi, a 40-year-old stay-at-home mother of a school-going child, said that she took her son to school in the morning and brought him back home via taxis or three-wheelers. She said that her intention to enrol him in a school van service was being hindered by the ongoing fuel situation and the resulting increase in fares.
Adding on to the matter, teachers too noted difficulties in finding transport, not only occupationally but also for other important events in their lives. Kalpana Seneviratne, 37, who works as a teacher at a Government school, said: “We just attended our graduation ceremony for a postgraduate qualification, and it was difficult for us to get to the BMICH from Kurunegala due to the situation.”
Devini Helanthi, 40, who is also working as a Government schoolteacher, while noting that the fuel limits were an inconvenience, added: “This fuel issue isn’t just a Sri Lankan problem, but an international one. It is happening due to the ongoing war. The Government is enforcing a quota to preserve existing fuel stocks; it is doing this to manage resources so we don’t end up facing a shortage.”
Gayathri, a young teacher at a school in Colombo, said that her daily commute alternated between public and private transport. “Some days I take the train, and on others I travel with my husband in his vehicle. He is able to obtain fuel even without the QR code, so, honestly, we do not feel a heavy impact,” she said.
University students also shared that commuting to campus had become increasingly challenging due to the limited availability of transport options, with delays and increased fares disrupting their schedules and expenses. Disuli Seneka, 20, a university student, highlighted the growing difficulties associated with travel.
“I take the highway bus, and after getting off, I usually hire a taxi for around Rs. 200. But now, either there are no taxis available, or the available ones are not willing to take passengers, citing limited fuel,” she said, noting that transport had become increasingly unreliable for the public. She added: “Uber and PickMe take much longer to pick us up now, and the fares are significantly higher. A trip that used to cost Rs. 150 now exceeds Rs. 300.”
For Azhmen Uwaiz, 21, who balances a full-time job with university studies, the fuel crisis has had a significant impact on her daily life. “Transport has become a major challenge, making it difficult for me to attend university while working regularly. There are days I miss classes or work due to the lack of transport. Even if I take a taxi, the fares are much higher, increasing my expenses,” she said.
Ruwan, 40, a school van driver from Ganemulla, said that his weekly quota was 40 litres, which only lasted four days, although he added that the quota had been adequate last week as Wednesday was declared a public holiday. “Although they said they’re using the QR code, no one is using it yet; there are only petrol queues,” he said.
Dealing with Wednesdays
Employees across public, private, and freelance sectors, as well as other business operations, told The Sunday Morning that they were struggling to maintain regular attendance at their workplaces and manage daily commutes. Some shared their experiences while awaiting their turn to pump fuel while in long lines that snaked towards filling stations.
Opinions among Government-sector employees on measures to manage the fuel crisis, including the decision to declare Wednesday as a public holiday, remained mixed and contradictory.
Sandatharika, 32, a management service officer based in Ratnapura, said that the additional Wednesday holiday was not effective and only increased the work pressure on the remaining workdays. “For me, Wednesdays are usually the busiest and now that workload will be pushed onto other days, making it hard to manage the workload within the available time,” she said.
She noted that while buses were operating, three-wheelers had increased their fees, compelling her to avoid them altogether.
However, Madhushan, 39, another management service officer, welcomed the move to declare Wednesday a public holiday. “The Wednesday holiday helps me manage my fuel usage since I use private transportation for everything, including work,” he said. While his commute remains manageable within the allocated quota due to the short distance, he noted that his personal travel, including those involving his daughter’s tuition classes, had been disrupted.
Stories from the fuel queue
Pinindu Pahasara, 20, a sales associate, said that getting to work had become his biggest challenge at present. “With the QR-based fuel system, I can only manage to commute for around three days per week. By the time I get home, I do not have enough time to refuel because of the long queues,” he said. He added that his company did not cover fuel or transport costs, making getting to work on time his responsibility.
“Public transport is not the most viable alternative for me as it takes over four hours for a round trip. A bike is the easiest option, but fuel constraints make it challenging,” he explained, adding that using buses would also require taxi rides to get to his workplace, further increasing his expenses. He also noted noticeable delays in food delivery and ride-handling services over the past few days.
Lahiru Priyajanaka, 25, a textile auditor, said that all his personal travel had come to a standstill because of the fuel crisis. “Fortunately, I use office transport. With the weekly fuel quota for bikes, I would not be able to travel to work for more than two days, as I commute a very long distance,” he said. “We have 30–40 buses transporting staff. If one bus runs out of fuel, that entire group of employees will not be able to report to work unless they arrange their own transport.”
He added that the full fuel quota allocated for buses had not been given to the company’s transport.
Both Pahasara and Priyajanaka said that they had faced issues with the QR code system, with it failing to work, and expressed their frustration over their inability to obtain a new code through the system.
“I’m fortunate because I work from home on a freelance basis, so I haven’t faced major difficulties, as I don’t have to travel daily,” Angelo Perera, 31, told The Sunday Morning, while waiting in a fuel queue to refuel his car.
An employee of a shipping company involved in international transport, who was also waiting in a fuel queue and requested anonymity, described the situation as sudden and unexpected. “A lot of shipping lines are facing difficulties with international transport via the Middle East region, and fuel prices have increased, which has pushed up transport costs. We’re all in trouble now,” he said.
Meanwhile, a cashier at a short eats outlet near the Fort Railway Station said that the prevailing circumstances had impacted their sales and livelihood, although noting that the impact remained minimal for now. He said: “No fuel means there are no supplies either. We don’t have milk packets today because of this situation, which makes it difficult to make a profit as we don’t have the necessary items to sell.”
Naushad, 53, from Mawanella, who runs a clothing stall near the Fort Railway Station, said that he commuted to work by public bus, and although he had not made a long-distance journey recently, he had not observed any significant change in bus fares. Speaking about his business, he said: “When fuel prices increase, it becomes harder to transport items and therefore we have to raise our prices.”
Tourists visiting the country have also experienced minor disruptions due to the ongoing fuel crisis. A German couple on holiday said their travel plans had changed slightly after their initial flight, which had been scheduled for Sunday (15), had been cancelled and later rebooked for Wednesday (18).
“We only rented a tuk-tuk. Towards the end, it became a bit difficult for us to travel to certain places due to the fuel shortage, but as it was the end of our tour, we did not face major trouble,” they said, while also expressing their concern for the locals who are more heavily affected.
Current fuel quotas
The weekly fuel allowance based on vehicle categories, introduced by the Government, is as follows:
- Motor cars: 15 litres
- Motorcycles: 5 litres
- Three-wheelers: 15 litres
- Vans: 40 litres
- Buses: 60 litres
- Motor lorries: 200 litres
- Special-purpose vehicles: 40 litres
- Quadricycles: 5 litres
Further, according to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), fuel quotas issued through the QR system will be distributed based on the last digit of the vehicle number plate. As such, vehicles with number plates ending in 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 can obtain fuel on even-numbered days and those with number plates ending in 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 can obtain fuel on odd-numbered days.