Mizzima
As schools reopened on Monday, 9 March, parents across Myanmar’s major cities faced significant logistical hurdles following the implementation of the junta’s new “odd-even” fuel-saving directive.
The policy, which officially took effect on 7 March, restricts private vehicles to alternating days on the road based on their license plate numbers – even-numbered plates on even dates and odd-numbered plates on odd dates.
However, several types of vehicles are exempt from the restriction, including electric vehicles (EVs) and electric motorcycles, public transportation such as buses, taxis, and fuel tankers, as well as construction vehicles and freight trucks. Ambulances, hearses, and municipal garbage trucks are also allowed to operate without following the even-odd rule.
While a supplementary announcement on 4 March stated that “school transport vehicles” and staff buses are exempt from the daily restrictions provided they carry valid recommendation letters, the practical application of this rule has been marred by conflicting interpretations.
“I live on the outskirts of town, and transportation is not easy. Hiring an ‘Oway’ costs about 20,000 kyats for a single trip, and they won’t wait for you. I’m considering buying a battery-powered bike just to take my kids to school,” said a parent of a preschool student.
Reports from Yangon suggest that education officials recently clarified that the exemption only applies to vehicles transporting four or more students, effectively excluding thousands of parents who drive their children to school individually.
However, despite the additional clarification, confusion remains among parents. Some interpret the term “school transport vehicles” to mean only large ferry buses, while others believe that any vehicle used to transport a child to school even if it carries only one student could be considered a school transport vehicle. As a result, many parents say they are still uncertain about how the rule should be applied.
“My son’s school provided a recommendation letter on Friday. However, on Saturday, the Education Office issued an update stating that the exemption only applies if the vehicle is transporting at least four students. Because of that, I sent him to school by taxi today,” said a parent from Yangon.
It was also reported that a parent carrying a recommendation letter from their child’s school confirming their status was stopped in South Okkalapa Township and was forced to pay a fine of 20,000 kyats.
“It was an even-numbered car in South Okkalapa. Even though I had the school recommendation letter, I still had to pay 20,000 kyats,” he said.
Meanwhile, another parent said that although they were driving an even-numbered car, they were not stopped or fined while traveling with a school recommendation letter.
The junta has designated the period until 13 March as an “Awareness period,” during which authorities will focus on informing the public about the new rules. Formal arrests and legal action against those who violate the regulation are set to begin on 14 March.
The junta maintains that the measures are necessary due to the shipping blockade in the Middle East affecting fuel imports. However, public criticism continues to grow, with parents and business owners warning that the system is unworkable during the peak of the academic exam season.
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