Mumbai Petrol Pumps To Run Dry From Aug 1 - Report

Dear Mumbai motorists, tank up your vehicles over the weekend or else get ready to face some real inconvenience. Wondering why we’re warning you? Petrol pump owners across the city are reportedly preparing to stop purchasing fuel from August 1, in order to protest against the state’s new 'no helmet, no petrol' directive.

“We will empty whatever stocks are at the pumps till July 31, after which there could be a shortage of fuel supply at the pumps,” said Ravi Shinde of Petrol Dealers' Association to the Times of India. It’s needless to say that this protest, if affected, could result in drying up of around 223 petrol pumps across the financial capital.

According to the report, a work-to-rule protest by keeping pumps open only between 9am and 6pm from August 1 was planned. But after a closed-door meeting on Wednesday, the association decided to take an aggressive stance by discontinuing purchasing fuel at pumps from August 1. 

“In case, the government accepts our demands, we may not resort to this extreme step,” Shinde added. The pump owners are protesting against the ‘no helmet, no petrol’ rule imposed by the state government in order to avoid road accidents. 

They believe that policing is not their job and their acceptance of helping out the police should not result in delegating pump attendants with such tasks. The association also plans to move to the Bombay high court, which could delay implementation of the directive. 

The ‘no helmet, no petrol’ rule is supposed to be enacted by August 16, a fortnight after the police plans to spread awareness at petrol pumps. The rule is expected to be enforced strictly with fines being slapped on all offenders.