Tanzanian Head of State, Samia Suluhu Hassan, has directed government officials to travel together in a single bus during official engagements, as authorities move to reduce fuel consumption in the wake of supply disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict.
The directive comes on Wednesday, April 8, as fuel prices in Tanzania have surged by approximately one-third since March, according to the country’s energy regulator.
Addressing a swearing-in ceremony for newly appointed officials on Wednesday, President Hassan announced a scaled-down approach to official travel. She indicated that only her essential convoy—comprising her escort team, police and a backup vehicle—would remain part of her motorcade. “From now on, wherever I go, all officials will travel together in one bus… to cut fuel consumption,” she stated.
The move reflects growing concern across the region over tightening fuel supplies, following disruptions tied to tensions in the Middle East. The effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz—a critical global energy corridor through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and gas transits—has forced several countries to adopt fuel rationing measures.
In neighbouring Ethiopia, authorities last week announced plans to prioritize fuel allocation for vehicles transporting essential goods and those operating within the public transport sector, as governments across the region grapple with mounting energy constraints.