In 2022, Sri Lanka’s shortage of foreign currency disrupted fuel imports and turned petrol-station waits into multi-day ordeals. A report from Colombo records a taxi driver who had already spent two days in line, while vehicles stretched for almost two kilometres from an oceanfront road into side streets.
What distinguishes this queue is that refuelling ceased to be an errand and became an overnight requirement for staying in work. The shortage immobilised not only vehicles but also the working time of the people who depended on them.