Sri Lankan woman rickshaw driver has to queue 12 hours, or more, for fuel

Lasanda Deepthi, a 43-year-old Sri Lankan woman, plans her day around fuel queues.

The driver of an auto-rickshaw on the outskirts of the commercial capital Colombo, she keeps a close eye on the petrol gauge of her sky-blue three-wheeler before accepting a job to make sure she has enough fuel.

When the needle is close to empty, she joins the line outside a gas station. Sometimes, she waits through the night for petrol and when she does get it, it costs two-and-a-half times the amount it did eight months ago.