Truck Driver Strike: Fuel pumps across various states have long queues as truckers escalate their protest against Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita’s implementation, drawing fearful trucker protestors.
Fuel consumption may not rise because of higher prices but due to uncertainty as to whether protestors’ continued disruption of fuel distribution could disrupt its supply chain and lead to shortages of essential supplies.
Driver strikes have occurred across multiple states, including Bihar and Punjab, as well as Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh over punishments imposed under BNS for hit-and-run accidents.
News agency PTI reported that truckers in Maharashtra staged several “rasta-roko” protests on Monday to oppose harsh penalties and fines levied by a new penal law against hit-and-run motorists.
Tanker drivers stopped work in Nashik to park more than 1,000 vehicles at Panewadi Village, which is used as a fuel depot hub.
Why Do Truckers Protest?
Protesters were outraged over the new BNS law, which replaced colonial India’s Indian Penal Code with harsher punishments, including up to 10 years imprisonment and an equivalent fine for drivers who cause severe accidents but flee authorities without reporting them.
Truck drivers, taxi drivers, and commercial vehicle operators worry about having enough funds available to cover costly penalties in case of a collision.
Navi Mumbai experienced violent protests when protesters attacked an NRI police officer near Nerul. Police used force to control this situation and detained at least forty truck drivers.
PTI reported that around 400 people gathered in Kalamboli and staged a “rasta roko,” demanding the cancellation of new provisions on the Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway.
What Is The New Law Regarding Hit-And-Run?
This law replaces the Indian Penal Code from colonial times. Drivers responsible for serious road accidents by negligent driving who then flee without notifying authorities can face up to 10 years imprisonment or fines of Rs 7 lakh;
According to the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, any individual responsible for an act that results in death due to reckless or negligent acts not amounting to murder will be punishable with imprisonment for up to seven years and a fine
What Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Says On Hit-And-Run Accidents
The BNS provides coverage of hit-and-run accidents as well as deaths caused by reckless driving. Once passed by Parliament and given the President’s Assent, this law introduces two new clauses in Section 104:
Firstly, a seven-year maximum sentence is applied when death results from acts of rashness or negligence; This fine also applies; secondly, fleeing an incident without reporting it carries up to ten years imprisonment plus a fine.
This new law replaces IPC Section 304A, which stipulates maximum sentences of either two years imprisonment plus a fine, which had defined maximum penalties of two years imprisonment plus a fine.
1. Anyone responsible for death caused by any reckless or negligent act that does not constitute murder will be punished with imprisonment of up to seven years and a fine.
2. Whoever causes death through reckless or negligent acts that do not amount to murder and flees the scene without reporting it within 48 hours will be punished with imprisonment of up to 10 years or fines up to that amount.
What Protesters Say About The Hit-And-Run Provision Under BNS
Bhopal taxi driver Gyansingh Yadav wept as he discussed the recent protests, emphasising their impact on drivers’ lives. Cab drivers can return home at night; truck drivers sometimes don’t see their families for up to 15 days due to work responsibilities.
While we do not oppose any government or law, I feel some changes must be made, particularly regarding penal provisions for drivers (the new law imposes a 10-year prison sentence for violators; according to Yadav, he felt it should be reduced by 1-2 years).
Raipur bus drivers from Chhattisgarh expressed their discontent with how the law treated the economically challenged, calling it unjust.
To the bus driver: “We are poor; owners of our vehicles should face penalties; it is unjust; therefore, our strike will continue until our demands are fulfilled,”
Government Official: Truckers Will Not Face Strict Punishment if They Report Accident
PTI reported on Tuesday, quoting a senior official of the government as saying that under BNS, any driver involved in an accident who immediately reports it or transports their victim directly to the hospital will not face prosecution for such conduct.
The official responded to protesting truckers by dismissing them as unfounded and stressing that hit-and-run laws only applied to drivers trying to evade responsibility by failing to inform police about accidents they’re responsible for. PTI reported on how harsh punishment would also be used in cases of drunken driving leading to accidents.
PTI reported from reliable sources that the Supreme Court made observations that resulted in an updated provision, increasing penalties for hit-and-run cases from five years to ten.
The Impact of Truckers’ Protest on Fuel Supply
Tanker drivers have joined in a protest, leading to shortages in many cities. Bhushan Bhosale, President of Nashik District Petrol Dealers Association, has expressed his worry over fuel stations running dry if this agitation continues, according to PTI reports.
PTI reported that there was no shortage of fuel at petrol pumps across Madhya Pradesh – including Bhopal and Indore.
Ajay Singh, President of Madhya Pradesh Petroleum Dealers Association, assured PTI that fuel supplies would be restored across the entire state by Tuesday night, stressing its importance.
Congress Demands The Withdrawal Of The Hit-And-Run Provision In BNS
Rahul Gandhi, a Congress MP and member of Parliament for India’s opposition party Congress, strongly criticised Modi Government over protests.
On social media platform X, he wrote an open letter that read: “Constant assault against democracy: making law without consulting affected classes or dialogue with opposition; instead of addressing India’s backbone through dialogue or consultation, autocrat who controls Parliament enacted laws against drivers with potentially devastating results; harsh legal fines can severely hurt these hard working class members.”
“Misuse of this law could encourage organised crime through the recovery system,” according to Abdelaziz. In addition, the government, well known for using whips as tools of democracy, has lost sight of the difference between an “emperor’s decree” and justice.
Nana Patole of the Maharashtra Congress demanded earlier the withdrawal of hit-and-run provisions, believing them unfair and harsh on motorists.
Patole asserted that the government had passed an oppressive law against motorists, promising the support of truck drivers as well.
According to ANI, Ajay Bhalla, Union Home Secretary, will lead an All India Transport Congress meeting on Tuesday as a response to protests over ‘hit and run’ provisions included in the new penal code.
Why Do Trucks, Buses, And Tandriversiver Protest Against It?
Reports by private transport operators argue that laws against unfair punishments could result in harsher sentences, discourage drivers, and potentially cause mob attacks when transporting injured patients to hospitals – leading to their demand that laws should be repealed altogether.
Rajendra Kapoor from All India Motor & Goods Transport Association told ANI: “All we are asking of the government is for any decision taken by it to have been done after consulting stakeholders; no one was consulted about it or discussed beforehand; meetings should have taken place.”
“The protest was announced by members of the All India Motor & Goods Transport Association,” he stated. This matter must now be discussed; a misleading situation has arisen due to people being unaware of new regulations.
What Is The Impact Of The Strike On The Economy?
Since Monday, January 1st, protestors in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh have blocked highways and roads, resulting in disruptions of fuel and vehicle supply.
On Tuesday, a transporters’ group claimed that Madhya Pradesh’s strike had affected the movement of five lakh vehicles and caused long queues outside petrol stations in states including Himachal Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Protesters temporarily blocked highways across several districts in Gujarat, such as Kheda and Valsad, on Monday. They parked vehicles along these highways as well as set up blockades.
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