At a time when long queues at petrol pumps were seen in Hyderabad amid a protest by truck drivers against the new hit-and-run law, a video showing a man galloping on the streets of the city carrying a bag with Zomato’s logo has gone viral. The short clip showed the Zomato delivery agent arriving on horseback at Chanchalguda, located next to the Imperial Hotel.
The man was seen waving to the public on the streets as he arrived on a horseback after long queues and the closure of petrol pumps as a fallout of the truckers’ protest.
When petrol bunks ran out of fuel in #Hyderabad, @zomato delivery arrived on horseback … at Chanchalguda, next to Imperial Hotel… after long, long queues & closure of petrol pumps as a fallout of #TruckersStrike over #NewLaw on hit-and-run accidents @ndtv @ndtvindia pic.twitter.com/bYLT5BuvQh
— Uma Sudhir (@umasudhir) January 3, 2024
In the video, the delivery agent could be heard talking to a passerby that he opted to arrive on horseback to deliver the food after the pumps ran out of petrol.
Asked what had happened, the horse-rider responded, “Petrol nahi mila bhai. Teen ghante line me khada raha. Zomato se nikal gaya..petrol nahi mila.(There was no petrol. I waited in the queue for three hours. I left after taking the order but couldn’t get the petrol).
Long queues spilled over to the main roads in Hyderabad on Tuesday as a large number of motorists gathered at the fuel outlets for petrol and diesel in Hyderabad, resulting in traffic jams at several places for some time, news agency PTI reported. The traffic jam was brought under control by evening, police officials said.
“(Fuel) availability is there. People are apprehensive that due to the agitation by truck drivers, it may not be available and they are going to petrol pumps in large numbers, following which queues were formed and subsequently spilled over to the roads resulting in traffic jams initially,” a senior police official told PTI.
A petrol retail outlet owner told a TV channel that fuel supply to petrol pumps in the city was indeed hit by to the truck drivers’ protest since Monday.
Barricades were also seen at some petrol pumps in the city even as some motorists complained that they were unable to fill fuel in their vehicles as some of the outlets were “closed” and due to which they faced problems.
Truck Drivers’ End Protest
The countrywide truckers’ stir has been called off as the government assured that it would consult stakeholders before implementing a contentious law against hit-and-run. After long talks with the government, the All-India Motor Transport Congress called off the agitation.
The protest was over Section 106(2) of Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita or BNS — which is set to replace the colonial-era Indian Penal Code — which had provisions for strict penalties in hit-and-run cases.
Under the new law, hit-and-run cases can attract up to 10 years in jail and a fine of ₹ 7 lakh — against the current penalty of up to a two-year jail term and a lighter fine. The maximum punishment of 10 years will kick in when the offender has caused death through rash driving and decamped without reporting the matter to the police. Â
The truckers, cab drivers, and others operating commercial vehicles are questioning how they would pay such a steep fine in case they meet with an accident.
