Rising fuel prices, shrinking clientele bring economic pain for short-haul drivers in Arakan State

By DMG 21 Aug 2022

DMG Newsroom
21 August 2022, Sittwe 

Drivers in Arakan State say that continuous increases in the price of fuel make it difficult to earn a living wage. 

Fuel prices in Sittwe on August 20 were K3,000 per litre for Ron 92 and K3,300 for Ron 95, according to consumers. 

Drivers making journeys to Ponnagyun, Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U and Minbya from Sittwe are not covering the cost fuel expended due to the rise in fuel prices and fewer paying passengers, said U Thein Win, a driver plying a route between Mrauk-U and Sittwe. 

“There are only three passengers on average, and sometimes we have to return from Sittwe without passengers. Due to the difficult economic times, passengers are no longer going as often as before. Passengers only go when absolutely necessary. We are not in good shape commercially,” he explained. 

In the past, the cost of fuel roundtrip from Mrauk-U to Sittwe and back was only about K50,000, but now it costs around K100,000, drivers said.  

Some drivers have sold their vehicles and moved on to other jobs, including a significant contingent who have left the country in search of gainful employment. 

“We are not OK commercially and are struggling to cover the cost of fuel,” said U Tha Hla. “We are struggling to support our families because there is a mismatch between income and expenditure. Some owners sold their vehicles to go abroad to seek a better life due to job scarcity in Arakan State.” 

The soaring price of fuel has hit passengers’ pocketbooks too. A rider previously had to pay only K5,000 for a trip between Sittwe and Kyauktaw, but the price has risen to over K10,000 per person. The cost from Sittwe to Mrauk-U has been raised to K15,000 from K10,000. 

Travellers these days are tending to use water transport rather than land routes due to the increase in bus fares and the Myanmar military’s tightened security, said an official from the department of Inland Water Transport. 

There are too many security checkpoints along the roads set up by the Myanmar military, so many would-be passengers are avoiding overland travel, the official added. 

The reference prices set by the regime’s Supervisory Committee on Import, Storage and Distribution of Fuel in Sittwe on August 20 were K2,545 per litre for Ron 92; K2,630 for Ron 95; K2,960 for HSD (500 ppm); and K2,035 for HSD (50 ppm) and HSD (10 ppm). 

The Supervisory Committee on Import, Storage and Distribution of Fuel has said that consumers can file complaints with the committee if filling stations fail to sell their fuel in accordance with its reference prices.