Cycling Through Colombo’s Fuel Fiasco
When the petrol pump at the front of your shop shuts down for good, you either put your grocery list on hold or, as 41‑year‑old Dr. Thusitha Kahaduwa has decided, it’s time to swap the car for a bike. He’s been tearing through the streets of Colombo for the last fortnight, criss‑crossing the capital on a pair of wheels instead of a four‑wheeled commuter.
Why the switch?
- “One minute I’d stand in a petrol station queue for two or three hours,” the doctor recounted. “Three weeks ago it was a three‑day line.”
- He calls buying a bicycle an “act of desperation,” made inevitable by the nation’s dwindling fuel reserves.
- Hard currency reserves are almost gone, so imports of essential items such as fertilizer, food, and medicine are slipping to a trickle.
1. The Rising Demand for Bicycles
Bikes have become the new go‑to way to get around. With fuel almost all but exhausted, the number of bicycles on Colombo’s streets has soared, and the shortage has launched a price spurt: new and used bikes can now cost over double what they used to.
Vehicle Prices
- Veteran shop owner Victor Perera reports steady sales of around 20 bikes a month before May.
- From May onwards, sales surged tenfold, a clear sign of the nation’s cycling boom.
- Perera adds that the government has banned the import of bicycles to conserve precious foreign exchange. “Now there are no more bicycles,” he laments.
Shortages in Parts and Accessories
Not just bicycles are scarce. Helmets, locks, and other gear are experiencing a shortage, making the current bike craze all the more eye‑catching.
2. Fuel Crisis Knocks the Door
- No oil shipments have arrived for about two weeks.
- The government’s response includes closing schools and shifting public employees to remote work.
- Fuel distribution is limited to essential services, with no concrete timeline for new shipments.
3. Bureaucracy and Planned Restructuring
The nation is on a tightrope. In August, the government must present a debt‑restructuring plan to the IMF and negotiate a US$3 billion bailout package—a hint that the crisis is not going anywhere anytime soon.
4. An Iron‑clad Outlook
“I don’t think our country’s problems will be solved soon,” Kahaduwa mused. “At least I get plenty of exercise now.” Human—sophistication technically. The story of a man on two wheels: a testament to the resilience and ingenuity that thrives even under down‑turned circumstances.
