Centre to Convene Urgent Meeting As Truckers’ Protest Against New Hit-and-Run Law

New Delhi: Truck, bus, and tanker drivers initiated a widespread agitation on Monday to oppose the stringent penalties outlined in the recently proposed law addressing hit-and-run incidents. In response to the nationwide strike, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla is scheduled to preside over a crucial meeting today, with the participation of the transporters union.

The protest centres around the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, slated to replace the existing Indian Penal Code. The key contention lies in the provision that under the new legislation, drivers responsible for severe road accidents resulting from negligent driving, who subsequently flee without reporting the incident to authorities, could face imprisonment of up to 10 years.

According to Section 106 (2) of the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, “Whoever causes the death of any person by rash and negligent driving of a vehicle not amounting to culpable homicide and escapes without reporting it to a police officer or a magistrate soon after the incident shall be punished with imprisonment…and shall also be liable to a fine.”

Expressing dissatisfaction with this stringent provision, truck drivers in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, and Punjab staged protests against the new law on Monday. Road blockades persisted in various locations, extending the protest into Tuesday.

The ramifications of the protest are evident, with long queues forming at petrol pumps due to heightened concerns about potential disruptions in fuel supply across different cities.