The department has written to all police commissioners and superintendents of police expressing concern about the stir and its effect on the supply of petrol, diesel, and LPG cylinders.

The state-level coordinator (oil industry), Maharashtra had requested the Food, Civil Supply, and Consumer Protection department to intervene to resolve the ongoing impasse as truck drivers and petroleum product transporters were on strike in front of the Mumbai refinery on Monday, officials said.

What is the new ‘hit-and-run’ law?

Under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), which replaced the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, drivers who cause a serious road accident by negligent driving and run away without informing the police or any official from the administration can face punishment of up to 10 years or a fine of ₹7 lakh. Earlier, the punishment in such cases was two years in the IPC.

In the Winter Session of Parliament, the Union Government passed the Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, 2023 and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill, 2023. The legislation made overhauling changes to our criminal justice system as they replaced the IPC, CrPC, and Evidence Act.

Why drivers are protesting against the new law?

Drivers across the country have launched a protest against the increase in jail terms in ‘hit-and-run’ cases under the new Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, 2023. The drivers have claimed that no one causes accidents intentionally and they are forced to flee the spot as the enraged mob threatens to kill them.

They also added that the new provisions would discourage the drivers and put them in fear about their jobs.

While explaining the conditions around an accident, the drivers added that a lot of factors are at play and some of them are beyond the driver’s control. In case an accident happens due to poor visibility during fog, the drivers will have to “rot in jail without any fault”.

The protests left the transport system in chaos as many passengers were left stranded at the bus stations in several cities. The drivers participating in the strike include truckers, private bus drivers, and even government bus drivers in some cases. On social media people have claimed that the cab drivers have also joined the protest in some states.

Why long queues at petrol pumps?

Long queues have formed at many petrol pumps in Nagpur city and Himachal Pradesh. People crowd up fuel pumps to fill up their vehicle tanks fearing a shortage of fuel as truck drivers protest against the hit-and-run law.