Hours lost in fuel queues, ride-sharing drivers struggle to earn

Highlights:

• Fuel shortages cause long queues at Dhaka filling stations
• Drivers lose three to four hours daily refueling
• Trip numbers drop sharply, reducing drivers' incomes significantly
• Global tensions disrupt fuel supply, affecting import-dependent Bangladesh
• Fuel rationing limits purchases to Tk500–Tk600 per vehicle
• Higher fares emerge as drivers try to recover losses

The growing fuel shortage is draining ride-sharing drivers' time and income as long queues at fuel stations are becoming a familiar scene in the capital. 

Even on a holiday, motorcycles and cars lined up in front of the Meghna filling station opposite Hotel InterContinental at around 11:30am on Friday, highlighting the challenges faced by ride-sharing drivers.

In the middle of the queue stood Yasin, a Computer Science and Technology student at Daffodil Polytechnic Institute. As the eldest son of a middle-class family, he rides his motorcycle to support his education expenses.

"Earlier, I could refuel and be on the road within five minutes," Yasin said. 

"Now it's 11:30am, and I've already been waiting for an hour. The pump won't give more than Tk600 worth of fuel. That's not enough to run the whole day. The most important hours of my day are being wasted in this queue."

Like Yasin, thousands of drivers now face fuel queues, not traffic jams, as their biggest obstacle. On average, they are losing three to four hours daily just to collect fuel. 

Where they previously completed 10 to 12 trips a day, that number has dropped to five to six, directly affecting their income.

The situation stems from global fuel supply uncertainty triggered by tensions involving Iran, which has disrupted international supply chains. As an import-dependent country, Bangladesh has been forced to contend with limited availability. 

Many filling stations have started rationing fuel due to supply inconsistencies, limiting sales to Tk500–Tk600 per vehicle. Drivers are often forced to make multiple trips to fuel stations, further cutting into their working hours.

Ride-sharing drivers are among the hardest hit, as their earnings depend directly on the number of trips they can complete. Long hours spent in queues mean they miss peak demand periods.

Kazi Fannu, a resident of Badda, turned to ride-sharing after losing his job at a private company. Renting a car, he now drives for Uber but the fuel shortage has worsened his situation.

"There's a severe shortage of fuel from Badda to Rampura," he said. "With Tk500–Tk600 worth of fuel, you can't take long trips. After waiting two hours at the pump, when I finally go online, there are often no passengers. I used to earn Tk1,500 to Tk2,000 a day, but now it's difficult to take home even Tk500 after expenses. Surviving in Dhaka with a family has become nearly impossible."

Passengers, meanwhile, complain that ride-sharing fares have increased significantly. Saima Akter, a private-sector employee and regular Uber user, told TBS that drivers often demand higher fares than those shown in the app and sometimes refuse trips altogether.

Drivers, however, defend the higher fares, saying they are necessary to compensate for income lost while waiting in fuel queues.

"Standing in line for two to three hours means losing at least Tk300 in potential earnings," said Uber driver Hasan Rashid. "We don't raise fares intentionally, but we have to recover that loss."

He also expressed frustration over the gap between government directives and their implementation. "Even after the government lifted the fuel limits, many pumps are not following it. If they cannot comply, why was the decision made in the first place?" he said.

Ahmad Rushd, owner of the Meghna filling station opposite Hotel InterContinental, said rationing is unavoidable under the current circumstances. "Everyone wants to fill their tanks. To ensure fuel reaches more customers, we have to limit the amount per vehicle," he said.