Truckers’ body to call off strike after assurance from govt on new hit-and-run law
The truckers' association had called a three-day nation-wide strike to protest against the new hit-and-run cases law.
The nationwide strike announced by truck, taxi and bus operators against the new law on hit-and-run cases entered its second day on Tuesday.
Vehicles lined-up at petrol pumps as people resorted to panic buying amid fears of fuel supply disruptions across the country due to the strike.
The transportation strike has been called to protest against the stringent punishment for hit-and-run cases under the newly-launched Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS).
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Under the BNS, which replaced the Indian Penal Code, drivers who cause a serious road accident by negligent driving and run away without informing the police will face punishment of up to 10 years or a fine of Rs 7 lakh or both.
Earlier, the punishment in such cases was two years in the Indian Penal Code.
The All India Motor Transport Congress has demanded that these provisions must be recalled as they can lead to undue harassment of drivers.
In Punjab alone, some seven lakh trucks reportedly went off the road in protest against the new law. The protests were also reported in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal, Rajasthan and Bihar.
In Nagpur, long queues were seen at petrol pumps as the Transport Association and drivers protested against the new law on hit and run cases.
People in Madhya Pradesh AND Rajasthan also encountered travel inconvenience as the strike hit bus operations.
More than 84,000 trucks, tempos and containers in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) remained off the road on Monday. Nearly 35 per cent of these were carrying essential commodities, including petrol and diesel.
Amid chaos, the Maharashtra government has directed the state police to ensure uninterrupted supply of petrol, diesel and LPG cylinders in the market.
In Madhya Pradesh, around 10,000 private buses, trucks and taxis reportedly remained off the road as people faced travel inconvenience.
Supply of vegetables, fruits and other essentials would be hit in the next few days due to the three-day strike.
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