Remote Working: The World is Adapting. We Are Still Stuck in Traffic.

By Y. Krishan Ramjee

Context line: In the wake of the US-Iran War and a global fuel crisis...

More than a month into the US/Israel -Iran War now. Information, analysis, projections, debates and consequences of the war flooding the news channels and the internet every single day. The pointers are clear.

So, what actually are we waiting for?

Australia, Europe Thailand, but also countries such as Vietnam, Sri Lanka and the Philippines, have already anticipated the global fuel crisis that looms over their head and they are rushing to mitigate losses for their population.

Thailand is now requiring most government agencies to adopt full time remote working arrangements as part of emergency efforts to reduce energy and transport demands.

The Government of Philippines has its public sector employees to attend office only 4 days a week. Similar measures are also seen across Pakistan.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade has urged employers to allow remote work where possible to reduce transportation needs and fuel consumption.

Same trend across Europe. Denmark's energy and utilities minister told a local broadcaster: "If there is any energy consumption that you can do without, for instance, if it is not strictly necessary to drive the car, then don't do it.

Although countries such as Denmark, Vietnam or Australia have a 57-65% import Dependency on fuel, they are not shy to be proactive and implement urgent measures in the wake of the crisis.

Mauritius imports 100% of fuel. 100%! Sri Lanka, as Mauritius, produces 0% of fuel and therefore has a 100% dependency on fuel import, but they are visibly upping their game on decreasing fuel consumption.

So, the question remains:

What are we waiting for?

But then… aren’t we always behind?

Remote Working, or as we commonly know it as, work from home has known its birth from the Covid-19 Pandemic. After what was implemented as a temporary measure, it’s popularity rose to show the world a blessing in disguise, and it redefined the way we work. It showed us that we don’t need to travel kilometres to the office to make a Microsoft Team online meeting call. But more of that later! Let’s crunch some numbers in Mauritius.*

Let’s take a workforce base of 70,000 remote-capable workers (financial services, ICT/BPO, professional services, desk-based administration)

A commute average of 20KM one way (40Km – return), assuming commute is from Curepipe/Q.Bornes, Rose Hill, driving to Port Louis/Ebene) (we aren’t even averaging the outskirts of Mauritius!)

Average vehicle efficiency, 13Km/Litre

After some number crunching, it amounts to 3.1 Litres of fuel person per day. Extrapolating to 70,000 workers, this shoots the number to 217,000 Litres, PER DAY!!

Extended to a year, that is 31.8 Million Litres. Even if remote working is encouraged partially (example: 2-3 days per week, and even this is generous considering the actual context), millions can be saved in term of fuel consumption. This would automatically translate to hundred of millions of savings in finance. And it goes both ways. It is beneficial for both the country and the employees.

Just to get a brief idea, in terms of financial implications, at Rs. 58.45 per litre, that is around Rs. 180 per day, Rs 4,000 per month (this is only a low end average!)

In terms environmental impact, that is around 500 Tonnes of Carbon Emission PER DAY (way to go on our 2035 goal for reducing Carbon Emissions!)

Remote Working

Work from home has been defined as a privilege by large multinationals and corporate entities where, in reality, it is common sense, convenient and pragmatic. The benefits largely outweigh the prejudice. In a world of digital transition and where technology facilitates almost every process, it makes no sense to stay stubborn on imposing work in office. Ironically, commute time does not count in “work Hours” even though you spend hours travelling in heavy traffic to get to a place to do the job that you can do… at home.

Statistics back remote working without a shred of resistance *:

Research published in 2024 confirms a significant positive relationship between WFH practices and work-life balance, with remote work improving employees' ability to manage personal and professional responsibilities simultaneously

Employees required to be in-office five days per week reported 43% higher burnout rates in 2024 Gallup data compared to hybrid workers, and 31% higher than fully remote workers. Workers with commutes over 45 minutes are 40% more likely to report chronic stress and 33% more likely to be actively job-searching

A staggering 98% of remote workers would recommend remote work to others and wish to continue working remotely for their entire careers.

Of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2025, 97 support remote or hybrid work - and these companies demonstrate productivity levels nearly 42% higher than typical workplaces.

Every day that passes is a day too much. Mauritius could have led by example, but in reality, we cannot even play catch-up. The world logged on. We started the car. And somewhere between Curepipe and Ebène, in bumper-to-bumper traffic, burning fuel we cannot afford and time we will never get back - we are still asking why.

Sources: Sources: Fortune (March 12, 21 & 23, 2026), Bloomberg (March 13, 2026), Al Jazeera (March 16 & 30, 2026), Rest of World (March 2026), The Register (March 11, 2026), TIME Magazine (March 19, 2026), IEA via Earth.org (March 2026), Council on Foreign Relations (March 25, 2026), Wikipedia - Economic Impact of the 2026 Iran War.

* Figures are based on conservative projections using official Statistics Mauritius workforce data, National Land Transport Authority vehicle statistics and standard fuel efficiency benchmarks. Traffic congestion — a daily reality on Mauritian roads — is not factored in, meaning actual fuel consumption is likely higher. All calculations are indicative and intended to illustrate scale, not precision