Fuel shortage disrupts transport in Iraq's Diyala

Shafaq News- Diyala

Recurring gasoline shortages in Iraq's Diyala province are disrupting the livelihoods of taxi drivers and forcing residents to change their daily routines, as long hours spent searching for fuel reduce incomes and strain transportation.

Ghassan Al-Zuhairi, a taxi driver, told Shafaq News on Sunday that fuel had been readily available in previous years, but the crisis has become a persistent problem in recent months with no government solution in sight. When the gauge drops to a quarter of a tank, my entire day changes, he said. "Instead of thinking about work, I start calling colleagues and checking WhatsApp groups to find out which station has gasoline. Sometimes I visit several stations and still return without filling the tank."

According to taxi driver Ayad Al-Taie, many drivers are considering raising fares to offset the time and costs associated with the shortage. "When you lose hours of your day moving between gas stations, it's only natural to try to recover part of that loss."

The Head of the Energy Committee at the Diyala Provincial Council, Faris Muzahim, attributed the deficiency to inadequate allocations, as the province receives around 1.1 million liters of gasoline per day, while its daily demand reaches 1.5 million liters. The provincial council has repeatedly asked the Oil Ministry to increase Diyala's allocation.

Additionally, Diyala's strategic location contributes to higher fuel consumption because it serves as a transit route linking Baghdad with the Kurdistan Region and is crossed by large numbers of travelers and pilgrims arriving from Iran on their way to Iraq's holy shrines.

He warned that the gasoline shortage has evolved beyond a service problem into an economic challenge affecting market activity and household incomes, calling for higher fuel allocations, more efficient distribution, strategic reserves, and tighter oversight to prevent black market sales.