Drivers of commercial vehicles, including trucks and tankers, stopped work across several states on January 1 to protest against the new provision for hit-and-run cases under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
On Day 2, the protests led to massive traffic jams on highways, creating inconvenience for people across several states, including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab among other states. In some places, long queues were seen at fuel stations as people were seen rushing to refuel vehicles expecting a potential risk of facing fuel shortage due to the protest.
What is the new hit-and-run law?
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which will replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC), has a provision that attracts punishment of up to 10 years for drivers who cause a serious road accident by negligent driving and run away without informing the police or any official from the administration.
As per the new law, hit-and-run cases can attract a 10-year jail term and a fine of Rs 7 lakh.
Under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), accidentally killing a person in a road accident had a maximum jail term of 2 years.
The truckers are protesting against the stringent punishment and are demanding a rollback of the provision under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which was passed in Parliament in the recently concluded Winter Session.
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The protesting drivers believe that the new law is draconian and biased against larger vehicles. The protesters have also expressed concern about potential mob violence against drivers who choose to transport the injured to hospitals.
The drivers participating in the strike include truckers, private bus drivers, and even government bus drivers in some cases. On social media, people have claimed that cab drivers have also joined the protest in some states.