New Hit-And-Run Law: Truckers’ Protest Prompts Rush At Fuel Pumps

New Delhi: Protests have broken out in several states, including Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Punjab, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, against the high penalties for hit-and-run accidents in Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which is set to replace the colonial-era Indian Penal Code.

Under the new law, hit-and-run cases can attract up to 10 years in jail and a fine of Rs 7 lakh. Truckers, cab drivers and others operating commercial vehicles are asking how they would pay such a high fine in the event of an accident. Happy Sidhu, president of All Punjab Truck Operators’ Union, called the new law a “black law” that will destroy truckers in Punjab.

Long queues are being reported at fuel pumps in several states for panic buying amid apprehensions that the truckers’ protest against the soon-to-be-implemented criminal code will hit supply. If the protest drags on, it may hit the supply of other essential supplies too.

Drivers of thousands of tankers that transport fuel to pumps are part of the protest. With them joining the strike, a fuel crisis has already gripped several cities and other urban centres fear a similar situation in the coming days. An association of petrol pump dealers in Aurangabad has said fuel pumps in the district may go dry by Tuesday, NDTV reported.