Fuel pumps in Punjab see panic buying over fears of stocks running out

Motorists queued up at fuel stations at many places in Punjab and Haryana on Tuesday over fears that stocks would run dry soon with truckers keeping off the roads to protest stricter punishments in the new law on hit-and-run cases.

In Haryana, private bus operators and some auto-rickshaw unions have also joined the protest against the new provision and some petrol pumps in Ambala reported a shortage of fuel. Chandigarh, the common capital of the twin states, too saw vehicle owners panic-buying fuel.

Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which is set to replace the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, drivers who cause serious road accidents due to negligent driving and run away without informing police or the administration face up to 10 years in prison or a fine of Rs 7 lakh.