Hyderabad: Petrol pumps in Hyderabad, and other cities across the country, are experiencing long queues as people rush to fill their vehicle tanks amid fears of a fuel shortage due to truck driver protests against a provision in the new penal law for hit-and-run accident cases involving motorists.
Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, replacing the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, drivers causing a serious road accident by negligent driving and fleeing without informing the police or administration officials could face up to 10 years imprisonment or a fine of Rs 7 lakh.
Similar scenes in Maharashtra, Punjab
Petrol pumps in Mumbai and Nagpur witnessed long queues on Tuesday as people came to fill up their vehicle tanks fearing shortage of fuel amid the protest by truck drivers against a provision in the new penal law on hit-and-run accident cases involving motorists.
Petrol Dealers Association, Mumbai, president Chetan Modi told PTI that the fuel supply to petrol pumps was affected due to the drivers’ agitation since Monday.
“Petrol pumps started getting dry since yesterday. If we won’t get the supply, most of the pumps will run out of fuel from today,” he said.
Meanwhile, There was massive queues at fuel stations across Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday as the truckers’ strike against stricter punishments in hit-and-run cases in the new law hit supplies in the region and triggered a panic-buying spree.
The J-K fuel station owners’ association said 90 per cent of petrol pumps have gone dry in Jammu and in the next few hours, all stocks will run out as 1,500 tankers carrying fuel to the Union territory and Ladakh were on strike
There are rumours that most of the petrol pumps may go dry if the agitations of the truck drivers continue.
In Nagpur, the truck drivers’ protest led to panic buying as people queued up at petrol pumps since Monday night to fill their vehicle tanks.
Some Hyderabad petrol pumps run dry
Certain petrol pumps in the city have already run dry, displaying ‘No Petrol’ boards.
Meanwhile, anxious residents are queuing up at various petrol pumps in Hyderabad to fill their vehicle tanks. At some pumps, minor altercations were observed as people attempted to obtain fuel in bottles.
It remains to be seen how long the situation will persist at petrol pumps in Hyderabad.
(With inputs from agencies)