Oil Shock Prompts Cities to Push Car Sharing, Remote Work

As the great oil shock of 2026 enters its fifth week, cities around the world have met the prospect of an extended period of higher fuel prices with a diverse mix of measures.

In Melbourne, for example, fares for trains, buses and trams have been temporarily suspended to “take pressure off the pump and more cars off the road,” said Jacinta Allan, premier of the Australian state of Victoria, in a public announcement. Bangkok’s ferryboat operators, on the other hand, have raised fares to reflect the skyrocketing price of diesel fuel; so have bus companies in Rawalpindi. Both Pakistan and Thailand rely heavily on ...