Commercial vehicles and other modes of public transport stayed off the roads in most parts of Assam on January 5, owing to a 48-hour strike called by a joint forum of transporters' unions to protest against the new penal law on hit-and-run cases.
Office-goers had a difficult time reaching their workplaces as buses, taxis and cabs didn't ply, abiding by the strike call. "The government only wants to blame drivers for any unfortunate incident even if they may not have committed the crime. Instead of improving road conditions, they are penalising the poor drivers," said Ramen Das, the convenor of Assam Motor Worker Associations' Joint Platform.
"The new law on hit-and-run cases is anti-drivers and is against owners of vehicles. We call for a strike of all vehicles from 5 a.m. on January 5 to 5 a.m. on January 5 to press for our demand for withdrawal of the legislation," Mr. Das said.
“Talks with the officials of the State government on Thursday night (January 4) failed to make any headway,” he added. Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which is set to replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC), drivers, who cause serious road accidents due to negligent driving and run away without informing police or the administration, can face up to 10 years in prison or a fine of ₹7 lakh. The punishment for such offences was two years in the British-era IPC.
“The transporters’ platform has also urged private car owners to join the stir, as the law is applicable to everyone irrespective of whether someone is driving a commercial vehicle or a small car,” Mr. Das said.
Meanwhile, long queues were seen at petrol pumps across the State, with people lining up to fill fuel tanks amid fears of supply crunch.
