Panic buying, long queues: Truck drivers' protest against new hit-and-run law causes stir

Truckers from multiple states initiated a three-day demonstration against the new hit-and-run law on Monday. The protest fueled panic buying, with many people queuing up at petrol pumps for fuel. The strike also affected the movement of vehicles across several states, with many others set to be affected. (PTI photo)

Private bus and truck drivers organized a 'chakka jam' (traffic jam) in several states in opposition to the recent legislation. Along the Pithampur Highway in Dhar, drivers implemented a 'chakka jam' by obstructing the road. Simultaneously, in the Chhattisgarh capital of Raipur, bus drivers conducted a protest against the newly enacted central law. (PTI photo)

The premier truckers' association in the country, AIMTC, addressed a letter to the prime minister and the home minister last week, highlighting the concerning pattern of law enforcement often attributing accidents to larger vehicles without conducting proper scientific investigations. The letter also expressed the dangers faced by drivers, including the risk of mob violence at the accident site. (PTI photo)

According to the upcoming Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, slated to replace the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, drivers responsible for severe road accidents resulting from negligent driving, who flee without reporting to the police or authorities, could potentially face a prison term of up to 10 years or a fine amounting to Rs 7 lakh. (PTI photo)

The strikes disrupted vehicular movement across the country, impacting nearly five lakh vehicles in Madhya Pradesh. Numerous passengers found themselves stranded at the Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT) as drivers refrained from operating inter-city buses. (PTI photo)

Fuel pumps at many places on Tuesday were turning away motorists, saying they have run out of stock as petrol and diesel were not being transported because of the truckers' strike. (ANI photo)

Drivers lined up at petrol stations in various locations across Punjab and Haryana, as well as several other states, due to concerns that fuel supplies might deplete rapidly. This situation arose as truckers refrained from hitting the roads in protest against more severe penalties outlined in the new legislation pertaining to hit-and-run incidents. (ANI photo)

Protests turned violent in Rajasthan's Kekri, where 3 police personnel were injured in the protest after it turned violent. A mob burnt a police vehicle and pelted stones at security personnel, police said on Tuesday.