Truckers protest stringent penalties in accident cases

Truckers, taxi and bus operators went on a strike in several states to oppose a provision that imposes a 27 lakh penalty and up to 10-year jail term for hit-and-run cases under the newly cleared Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita criminal code, on the grounds that the law could lead to undue harassment.

The three-day strike, which started on Monday, is likely to impact the distribution to fuel stations and the transportation of fruits and vegetables to some parts of the country. The impromptu strike was to protest the provisions of the new criminal laws that replaced the colonial-era Indian Penal Code after being cleared by Parliament last month.

Currently, hit-and-run cases are registered under various sections of the IPC, with the punishment for causing death due to rash and negligent driving being two years.

According to transport unions in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir and Bihar, several private buses, trucks, oil tankers and taxis remained off the roads on Monday to protest the provision, hitting transport services, availability of fruits and vegetables, and sparking fears of fuel shortage. To be sure, the impact of the strike was only partial in most states.