Truck, bus drivers staged ‘rasta roko’ protests at many places in Maharashtra against the provision in the new penal law regarding hit-and-run road accident cases involving motorists.
Mumbai: A wave of protests erupted across various states in the country as truck and bus drivers staged protests, expressing their dissatisfaction with stringent ‘hit-and-run’ provision in the new penal law. It should be noted that the criminal code law, which repealed the British-era Indian Penal Code (IPC) gives up to 10 years of punishment for fleeing an accident spot and not reporting the incident.
Truck Drivers Stage Rasta Roko
In Maharashtra, the truck drivers staged “rasta roko” protests at many places against the provision in the new penal law regarding hit-and-run road accident cases involving motorists.
In the wake of these protest, petrol pumps in Mumbai and Nagpur witnessed long queues as people came to fill up their vehicle tanks fearing shortage of fuel amid the protest by truck drivers against a provision in the new penal law on hit-and-run accident cases involving motorists.
What is Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita?
Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which replaces the colonial era Indian Penal Code, drivers who cause a serious road accident by negligent driving and run away without informing police or any official from the administration can face up to 10 years imprisonment or a fine of Rs 7 lakh.
Fuel Supply To Petrol Pumps Affected
Petrol Dealers Association, Mumbai, president Chetan Modi told PTI that the fuel supply to petrol pumps was affected due to the drivers’ agitation since Monday.
“Petrol pumps started getting dry since yesterday. If we won’t get the supply, most of the pumps will run out of fuel from today,” he said.
Chetan Modi further added that he went to the depots of oil marketing companies at Sewri in Mumbai, but the drivers were not letting any fuel tanker move from the facility despite police security.
180 Tankers Are Refuelled Daily
He added that nearly 180 tankers are refuelled daily at the Sewri-based depots of oil marketing firms.
Anil Garg, president of the School Bus Association here, told PTI that several fuel pumps witnessed long queues of vehicles for refuelling.
According to transporters, it was a spontaneous agitation started by some over-enthusiastic drivers which got fuelled through messages circulated among them on social media.
Baba Shinde, a leader of transporters, said the All India Motor Transport Congress has convened a meeting of transporters from across the country wherein the future course of action will be decided.
Protest Triggers Panic Buying In Nagpur
In Nagpur, the truck drivers’ protest triggered panic buying as people started queuing up at petrol pumps since Monday night to fill up their vehicle tanks.
Nagpur Collector Dr Vipin Itankar on Tuesday appealed to the people not to indulge in panic buying of fuel.
Itankar said he held a meeting with representatives of various oil companies and petrol pump associations and there was sufficient stock of petrol, diesel and LPG.
Members of various truck driver associations gathered at Samvidhan Chowk in Nagpur to stage a protest. They have planned to later go to the district collectorate to put forth their demands before the administration.
Various associations of truck drivers have called a meeting in Maa Umiya industrial area of Nagpur to discuss the future course of action, the Sena (UBT) functionary said.