Truck drivers across the country have been on strike since Monday over the provisions of the new law of the central government in the hit-and-run case.
Opposition to the new hit and run law has intensified in the state. Bus drivers have also gone on strike to support truck drivers. Food items lying in trucks are not being transported from one place to another. Due to this, the flame has now reached the kitchen. At the same time, due to the strike of truck drivers, people are afraid of fuel shortage, due to which people want to fill the tanks of their vehicles. Due to this competition, there was a crowd at petrol pumps in many areas of the capital Jaipur. There was a situation of jam in many places.
Law For Truck Drivers
Actually, the central government recently made new laws regarding crime. Under this, if a truck or dumper or bus driver runs over a person and runs away, he can be sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment. Apart from this, a provision has also been made to impose a fine of lakhs of rupees on him. Earlier, the accused driver used to get bail within a few days.
The first category includes any hasty or negligent death, which does not fall under the category of culpable homicide. Offenders in this category can be imprisoned for up to five years and fined.
The second category pertains to death due to rash driving, which does not qualify as culpable homicide. If a person flees without immediately reporting the incident to a police officer or magistrate, they can be imprisoned for up to 10 years and fined.
Regardless of the intentions of the law, experts stress the need for greater clarity on how an accused or driver should notify authorities given the potential risk of facing public anger at accident sites.
Road safety experts say there is a need to define the type of evidence that will be accepted to substantiate the claims of victims or accused persons to prevent potential abuse.
Truck Drivers Thoughts
Transporters say that no one knowingly causes the accident. Many times it has been seen that after the accident, the life of the driver is also in danger. Many times the public tries to beat the driver. In such a situation, the driver’s life is lost. This is the reason that private bus operators along with truck and trailer associations in the state have also come on strike. As a precaution, the operation of roadways buses remained closed in many districts on Monday. Even today, operations are closed in many districts. Roadways buses did not operate on Agra, Delhi, Sikar and Ajmer highways due to jams and demonstrations.
What was the earlier hit-and-run law?
Earlier, persons accused in hit-and-run cases were tried under Section 304A of the Indian Penal Code, facing a jail term of up to two years if identified. The introduction of the new Indian Justice Code marks a significant shift towards the more serious consequences of hit-and-run crimes in India.
Table of Contents
Truck Drivers‘ Protest Live: Fear of Fuel Shortage
Long queues were formed at petrol pumps in Mumbai and Nagpur on Tuesday as citizens rushed to get their vehicle tanks refilled fearing a fuel shortage due to the ongoing protests by truck drivers.
The demonstrations are against a provision in the new penal law addressing hit-and-run accidents involving motorists under the Indian Code of Justice.
The Indian Justice Code, which replaces the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, states that drivers causing serious road accidents by rash driving and fleeing the scene can be imprisoned for up to 10 years or fined up to Rs 7 lakh.
In Mumbai, Petrol Dealers Association president Chetan Modi said fuel supply at pumps has been affected due to the drivers’ agitation since Monday.
He warned that most of the pumps would run out of fuel if supply problems continued. Mumbai, which has around 200 petrol pumps, is facing challenges as drivers are preventing fuel tankers from moving despite police protection at the depots of oil marketing companies at Sewri.
Anil Garg, president of the School Bus Association in Mumbai, referred to long queues at several fuel pumps as citizens were demanding refuelling in their vehicles. Transporters clarified that the agitation was spontaneous and provoked by social media messages, with no truck drivers‘ association officially declaring a strike.
This situation highlights concerns about potential fuel shortages and disruptions caused by the ongoing protests, creating challenges for both citizens and fuel delivery infrastructure in Mumbai and Nagpur.
Read also: Ayodhya के लिए पीएम मोदी ने कुल 15,000 करोड़ रुपये की परियोजनाओं का किया उद्घाटन