Fuel supplies affected by the truckers’ strike

The nationwide strike by transport associations and drivers to protest against the provisions of the newly enacted law targeting erring Motorists has entered the second day causing disruptions in fuel supplies and long queues at petrol pumps in various cities of Western and Northern India

The All India Motor Transport Congress had given a call for a strike to protest against provisions in the new law, which is yet to come into force.

The BharatiyaNyaySanhita (BNS), which recently replaced the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, has introduced stringent penalties for hit-and-run cases, particularly targeting motorists involved in serious road accidents who flee the scene without reporting the incident to authorities. Under this new law, individuals responsible for such incidents may face up to 10 years of imprisonment and a hefty fine of Rs 7 lakh.

The Maharashtra government has urged the police to ensure the uninterrupted supply of petrol, diesel, and LPG cylinders to mitigate potential shortages. Officials have noted that the strike has disrupted the operation of dispatching LPG cylinders to the market. Packed lorry drivers, participating in the strike, are reportedly not reporting to the plant, causing a hindrance in the distribution process.

In Gujarat, protesters strategically placed vehicles to block highways passing through Kheda, Valsad, GirSomnath, Bharuch, and Mehsana districts, leading to disruptions on routes such as the Mehsana-Ambaji highway in Mehsana and the Ahmedabad-Indore highway in Kheda. Burning tyres on arterial routes briefly blocked these highways, causing delays and a 10-kilometre traffic jam on the Ahmedabad-Vadodara highway near Kanera village.

The protests also reached parts of Rajasthan, with traffic jams reported on major highway routes, including the Dholpur-Karauli route, Udaipur-Nathdwara route, SawaiMadhopur-Kota Lalsot route, Bhilwara-Ajmer route, and Anupgarh-Ganganagar.

A spokesperson for the Rajasthan State Roadways Transport Corporation, said, "There were jams on several routes due to the protest. Operation of roadways buses was affected, but it resumed after police intervention.He reassured the public that the ongoing protests by transporters would not impact the operation of roadways buses in the region.