Long queues have been snaking around petrol stations in Mali's capital a month after militants from an al-Qaeda affiliate imposed a fuel blockade by attacking tankers on major highways.
Our business is at a standstill, one motorbike taxi driver told the BBC, as many others pushed their vehicles to join the petrol lines amidst chaotic scenes in Bamako.
Some of the garages forced to shut last week, paralyzing the city, have now reopened after more than 300 petrol tankers arrived under army escort from Ivory Coast on Tuesday.
The military government has assured residents it is only a temporary issue, but there are fears the new stock will quickly run out - as others complain about price hikes.
Other cities and areas have also been suffering from such shortages, power cuts, and fuel inflation for several weeks. My business is dying, a vendor in the central town of Mopti told the AFP news agency about her problems keeping fish refrigerated.
Mali is landlocked, so all fuel supplies are brought into the country by road from neighbors such as Senegal and Ivory Coast.
The junta had popular support when it seized power five years ago, promising to deal with a long-running security crisis prompted by a separatist rebellion in the north by ethnic Tuaregs, which was then hijacked by Islamist militants.
The latest blockade by al-Qaeda linked Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) - which has seen lorries ambushed, some set alight, and drivers kidnapped - points to the geographic expansion of its insurgency as its fighters are targeting highways linking Mali to its neighbors to the west and south.
Images widely shared on social media highlight the rowdy lines at petrol stations in Bamako, with people waiting for hours.
Those caught up in the queues spoke to the BBC on condition of anonymity. I had to push my motorcycle from Djikoroni to Badalabougou, about 9km (nearly six miles) away, without fuel, said one rider.
Community radio station Nostalgie reported that fuel prices in parts of Bamako have increased by more than 200%.
Following a crisis meeting chaired by Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maïga on Tuesday, the deputy director general of commerce said that an action plan had been adopted and, amongst other things, teams were being sent out to ensure state-capped prices were adhered to at garages.
The situation will improve in the coming days, said Soumaïla Djitteye, thanking those involved in transporting the fuel for their sacrifice and patriotism and paying tribute to the security forces.
According to French public broadcaster Radio France Internationale (RFI), Malian officials are in discreet talks with the militants to lift the blockade, with demands including the release of captured fighters and relaxation of fuel restrictions.
