The All India Motor Transport Congress has issued a strike call to oppose certain provisions in the upcoming law that have not yet been enforced. During the second day of a nationwide strike by transport associations and drivers, a widespread protest unfolded against the recently implemented Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS). This led to disruptions in fuel supplies and resulted in long queues at petrol pumps in various cities.
The Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), recently replacing the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, has implemented strict penalties for hit-and-run cases, specifically focusing on motorists engaged in significant road accidents who escape without reporting the incident to authorities. According to this updated legislation, those accountable for such incidents could potentially be sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in prison and a substantial fine of ₹7 lakh.
In light of the ongoing protest, the Maharashtra government has called upon the police to guarantee the continuous provision of petrol, diesel, and LPG cylinders to alleviate potential shortages.
Authorities have highlighted that the strike has interfered with the dispatching LPG cylinders to the market. Drivers of loaded lorries, actively involved in the strike, allegedly failed to report to the plant, impeding the distribution process.
The repercussions go beyond LPG, influencing other crucial petroleum products like petrol, diesel, and kerosene, as detailed in the letter issued by the Maharashtra Food, Civil Supply, and Consumer Protection Department to all police commissioners and superintendents of police.
On Monday, demonstrators strategically positioned vehicles to obstruct highways passing through Kheda, Valsad, Gir Somnath, Bharuch, and Mehsana districts, resulting in disruptions on routes like the Mehsana-Ambaji highway in Mehsana and the Ahmedabad-Indore highway in Kheda. Setting tires ablaze on main routes briefly impeded these highways, causing delays and a 10-kilometer traffic jam on the Ahmedabad-Vadodara highway near Kanera village.
Videos capturing the protests, including the extensive line of parked trucks, circulated widely on social media, with commuters being advised to steer clear of affected routes.
The protests extended to various parts of Rajasthan, causing traffic jams on significant highway routes, including the Dholpur-Karauli route, Udaipur-Nathdwara route, Sawai Madhopur-Kota Lalsot route, Bhilwara-Ajmer route, and Anupgarh-Ganganagar.
Ashutosh Awana, the spokesperson for the Rajasthan State Roadways Transport Corporation, remarked, “Protests caused traffic jams on multiple routes. The functioning of roadway buses was disrupted, but normal operations resumed following police intervention.”
He assured the public that the ongoing protests by transporters would not hurt the operation of roadway buses in the region.
