Truck drivers protest: Chandigarh caps petrol, diesel sale as stir hits fuel supply; details here

The Chandigarh administration imposed restrictions on the sale of petrol and diesel as the strike by some truckers' associations entered the second day on Tuesday. The decision came as people queued up at fuel stations at many places in Punjab on Tuesday over fears that stocks would run dry soon.

 In view of the nationwide strike, Chandigarh has imposed a limit on the sale of petrol and diesel. Effective immediately, two-wheelers in Chandigarh are now allowed to buy only 2 litres or a maximum value of ₹ 200 of fuel, while four-wheelers are limited to 5 litres or a maximum value of ₹ 500.

A press release issued by the Chandigarh administration said, “In light of ongoing strike by drivers of fuel-tankers and restricted supply of Petrol & Diesel in UT Chandigarh, District Magistrate Chandigarh by orders has imposed temporary restriction on Petrol/Diesel sale at fuel stations in Chandigarh."

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The district magistrate emphasised that this measure is a “precautionary step to manage the current situation until normalcy is restored”. It added that efforts are going on to resume the supply of fuel to Chandigarh in coordination with oil marketing companies and the authorities of Punjab and Haryana.

“The imposed limitations are a proactive measure to ensure the availability of fuel for all during this period of temporary disruption of fuel supply. Fuel station operators are urged to comply with these regulations, and consumers are kindly requested to cooperate with the imposed restrictions,” it added.

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With trucks, tempos and containers keeping off the roads, the Punjab government appealed to the public not to resort to panic buying of fuel, assuring them of the availability of adequate stocks.

Secretary general of the Punjab Petroleum Dealers Association Rajesh Kumar said there are nearly 4,000 petrol pumps in the state and fuel supply has been affected due to the agitation since Monday. "If this situation continues, we are staring at a dry-out situation soon which prompted us to write a letter to the Punjab chief minister...," Kumar was quoted by PTI as saying.

Not just in Chandigarh, but district authorities of Hamirpur, Una and Bilaspur also issued directions for rationing of fuel, and the Himachal Roadways Transport Corporation (HRTC) has started rationalising routes. It has stopped the plying of buses on 138 routes with low occupancy, PTI reported.

Impact of truckers' strike

There are about one lakh trucks that ferry petrol and diesel as well as LPG from oil company depots to petrol pumps and gas distribution agencies. According to PTI, about 2,000 petrol pumps across the country have run out of fuel as people rushed in panic amid fears of the stocks running out.

"While state-owned oil firms had topped up tanks at most petrol pumps across the country in anticipation of the truckers' strike, some petrol pumps in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Punjab ran out of stock due to heavy rush," an industry official was quoted as saying.

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The situation in southern India was reportedly better with no major supply disruption barring a few pumps in Hyderabad, the official said.

It is being speculated that the essential supplies of vegetables, fruits and milk too may be affected if the three-day strike is extended or a pan-India movement is launched. Moreover, LPG supplies are also expected to be affected if the strike is extended further.

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The strike has impacted the movement of trucks in some western and northern states, they said, adding some LPG truck movement too has been impacted. However, there are no complaints about LPG shortage just yet as most users have double connections (two LPG cylinders) and reserve stock even if one cylinder gets exhausted.

Why truck, bus and tanker operators are protesting

Some truck, bus and tanker operators began a three-day strike on Monday against the stringent regulations under the new criminal law Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) for hit-and-run cases.

The new law, which replaced the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, provides for a jail time of up to 10 years and/or a fine of ₹7 lakh for serious road accidents due to negligent driving and where drivers run away without informing the police.

Truckers said most truck drivers choose to run away even in minor accidents as they otherwise will have to face mob justice and risk their lives. While the mobs typically go unpunished, to impose stringent punishment on drivers is unfair, they said.

The All India Motor Transport Association — the umbrella body of truck operators — has not given a nationwide strike call. According to PTI, its representatives will be meeting home ministry officials to raise their concerns about BNS.

Tapan Sharma, a former president of the Ahmedabad Motor Transport Association in Gujarat, told PTI that the protests occurred spontaneously. "The association has not called for a strike. Drivers are acting independently due to concerns about the new law. They protest briefly and then move on. However, these sporadic demonstrations have caused delays in the delivery of goods."

(With inputs from PTI)