Zomato Rider's Unconventional Horseback Delivery Amidst Hyderabad Fuel Crisis Protest

In a unique response to the prolonged queues at petrol pumps caused by a truck drivers' protest in Hyderabad, a Zomato delivery agent resorted to delivering food on horseback in the Chanchalguda area. The peculiar sight of the delivery agent navigating through busy streets near the Imperial Hotel garnered attention from both bystanders and social media users, leading to a viral video capturing the unusual delivery method.

The video features the delivery boy explaining to a passerby that he had waited for three hours in the petrol queue but eventually left without refueling, despite having an order to deliver. The queues at petrol stations were a consequence of a protest by truck drivers against a new provision in the penal law regarding hit-and-run cases.

On Tuesday, long queues formed at petrol pumps across Hyderabad as people rushed to fill up their tanks amid concerns of fuel shortages due to the truck drivers' protest. The contentious provision in the new penal law, introduced under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, stipulates that drivers causing a fatal accident through rash and negligent driving, who then fled the scene without reporting the incident to authorities, could face imprisonment for up to 10 years and/or fines.

As a response to the protest, truck drivers nationwide called off their strike after receiving assurance from the government. The government committed to consulting the transport body representing the drivers before implementing the controversial law on hit-and-run cases. It clarified that the new rule, prescribing up to ten years of punishment, has not been enforced yet, and any decision would be made only after discussions with the transport body.