Drivers’nationwide strike over new hit and run law hits essential services

By DAYANAND MOHITE | published: January 02, 2024 01:24 PM 2019-02-12T14:15:30+5:30

city : national

Hit and run provision: According to transporters, the move will discourage people to choose truck driving as a profession endangering livelihoods of thousands of people.

The nationwide strike by drivers against the changes in the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita proposing 10 years jail for drivers in hit and run case has hit essential services in different parts parts of the country. Many petrol pump stations across the cities have run out of fuel causing inconvenience to commuters.

‘New hit and run provision is draconian’

The hit and run provision has angered the transporters who claimed it will prove to be draconian. Earlier, the cases filed under hit and run carried two years sentence.

According to transporters, the move will discourage people to choose truck driving as a profession endangering livelihoods of thousands of people.

The strike has hit essential services in different parts of the country causing shortage of petrol and diesel and other supply chain.

Essential services hit in various parts of the country

In Bhopal, several petrol stations have run out of fuel forcing owners to put up sign boards “Out of service”. At other petrol stations in Bhopal’s Piplani, long queues could be witnessed for fuel forcing commuters to wait for at least two hours for their turn. People have urged the government to soon resolve the issue.

Meanwhile in Haryana, many transporters have not sent their tankers to Indian Oil refinery for transporting diesel and petrol to fuel stations. This has caused scarcity of fuel in north India.

Govt did not consult us, says AIMTC

Earlier, All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) said it hasn’t given any call for the strike. The decision to strike has been taken by the drivers themselves, said the truckers organisation.

AIMTC said they are surprised that the government didn’t consult them before forming such a law. The office bearers of AIMTC said they are holding a virtual meet on Tuesday to decide the future course of action.

“We will try to hold discussion with the government so that we can find a resolution to the new hit and run provision,” said AIMTC officials.

Hit and cases in India

According to 2023 National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), over 43,000 people were killed in the hit and cases in the country. In 2020, 41,196 people were killed in the hit and run incidents, while there were 28,915 fatalities in such accidents in 2019.

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