Truck Drivers Protest After Hit & Run Law: Food and Other Services Impacted

The news that is catching the attention throughout nation of all citizens is the protest of truck drivers which was recently called off – the protesters called it an off against the hit-and-run law. This decision has certainly come in the wake of assurances from the government of India and particularly after a crucial meeting between the All India Motor Transport Association (AIMTC) and Union Home Secretary – Ajay Bhalla.

Truck Drivers Protest: Essentials Impacted

Malkit Singh Bal who is known as the Chairman of AIMTC, decided to enlighten everyone with the update and took the piece of information and shared: “We met and discussed the provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and all issues have been resolved. The new laws have not been implemented yet and will only be enforced after consultation with AIMTC.”

These clarifications are going to play a pivotal role in the conclusion of the truck drivers’ strike with a collective call for all the drivers to promptly resume their operations.

The core of the protests was certainly rooted in the heightened penalties that were seen in the orb and were introduced by the revised criminal code; Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. These were specifically targeting hit-and-run cases involving truck drivers, the amended provisions propose a hefty penalty of up to 10 years of life in jail or a rupees 7 lakh fine for drivers who flee accident scenes or fail to promptly report incidents. This has to be noted that first, it was 2 years which was increased by 5 currently which was outlined in the Indian Penal Code.

The ripple effect of the nationwide protests extended beyond the transportation sector, triggering chaos in several states. Reports of ‘panic buying’ surfaced as citizens feared potential disruptions to essential supplies. Fuel shortages were seen in many petrol stations, which, with no surprise caused a Hodge podge in the citizens, and in some areas, people ran to stations for fueling their vehicles up.

In every Chaos in a nation, how can politicians not bolt up? Congress was seen expressing their views, and perfectly took the opportunity to highlight the issue at a much bigger pedestal than it was required and also highlighted how this can increase corruption and is not good for the nation.