Truckers in Navi Mumbai, Palghar clash with cops during protest

The new legislation Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita BNS 2023 having an increased punishment for hitandrun cases has triggered nationwide protests by truckers who have jammed highways and important junctions demanding that the law be repealed However legal experts have welcomed the legislation saying that the deterrent punishment provided under Section 104 will force errant truck drivers to follow traffic rules and prevent fatal accidents on highways In a bid to strongly press their demands protesting truckers pelted stones at policemen at various locations in Navi Mumbai and Palghar where they jammed arterial check nakas on highwaysAfter an overnight bandobast duty for New Year police in Navi Mumbai Palghar and Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar had to focus their energy on the roads on the first day of 2024Truck drivers blocked roads with their trucks near Fountain Hotel at Mira Bhayandar on Monday PicsHanif PatelThe police detained protesting truck drivers for pelting stones at them Efforts are being made to nab others who fled by checking CCTV camera footage The police are looking for protesters who also attempted to damage public propertyThe new legislationUnder Section 1042 BNS proposes a 10year jail sentence and a fine of Rs 5 lakh for truck drivers involved in hitandrun cases Under Section 304A of the Indian Penal Code IPC rash truck drivers were imprisoned for up to two years Section 304A is a bailable offence because imprisonment is less thantwo yearsIn India more than 50000 people die annually in hitandrun cases Maharashtra has the second highest cases On highways many people die in hitandrun cases BNSrsquos Section 1042 introduced in response to the increasing hitandrun cases is expected to secure justice for victims by ensuring that the accused do not get bail easily and will be arrestedThe protest on Monday caused a traffic jam on the Mumbai Ahmedabad Highway at Vasai PicHanif PatelMany unions protested at Chinchoti on the MumbaiAhmedabad Highway in Navi Mumbai and near the Fountain Hotel in Mira Road Protesters threw stones at police vehicles in Navi Mumbai and Chinchoti resulting in injuries to policemen Around 40 truck drivers who attacked the police were detained in Navi MumbaiA truck driver said ldquoWe have been driving trucks for 20 years and have always followed the rules Our entire family depends on us If any unfortunate incident occurs and we end up in jail for 10 years who will take care of our families We do not intentionally cause accidents It is a result of mistakes made by both truck drivers and other vehicles This punishment is extremely harsh and should be repealed as soon as possiblerdquoThe protests on Monday led to traffic jams in certain areas Drivers and unions have threatened to continue the stir and not let vehicles operate on highways if their demands are not metThe All India Motor Transport Congress AIMTC said in a statement ldquoThe AIMTC emphasises that no official call has been issued yet and an emergent meeting is scheduled for tomorrow Tuesday to determine the course of action Chairman Core Committee Bal Malkit Singh urges the government to take immediate initiatives to address this burning issue before it escalates furtherrdquoAIMTC chairman Bal Malkit Singh said ldquoWe appeal to the drivers to maintain patience and uphold law and order during this critical period Our primary goal is to engage in constructive dialogue with the authorities to find a resolution that is fair and justrdquoExpertsrsquo viewsAdvocate Abha Singh said ldquoWe are happy with this law as it will ensure justice for victims Recently a couple riding on the highway in Borivali fell after their bike lost balance A truck ran over them and killed them Truck drivers are always in a hurry to reach their destination for fear that their bosses will shout This law will remind truck drivers to be carefulrdquoldquoThis law applies to all drivers involved in hitandrun cases but truck drivers are protesting aggressively The IPC let people off on bail because the jail term was only two years Salman Khan also got bail because the offence was bailablerdquo Singh addedJitendra Gupta founder member of Citizen Transport Committee and a transport expert said ldquoThe government is right to implement this law Any person who escapes the scene of an accident instead of helping the victim to a hospital should be held responsible In most accident cases drivers choose to flee leaving the victim or victims to die Now if the accused donrsquot want to go to jail for 10 years then they have no choice but to help the victimrdquoSudhir Badami a transport expert said ldquoThis is an injustice to truck drivers who are economically backward In such cases the police should check exactly how the accident took place and who was responsible for it instead of straightaway going for the truck driverrsquos throat Many accidents take place because of faulty road designs and potholes The engineers and other officials are equally responsible for this A jail time of 10 years is ridiculous This law is wrong and needs to be rectifiedrdquoState government invokes ESMA to curb truckersrsquo strikeAs the lorry driversrsquo protest against a lsquohitandrunrsquo amendment which began on New Yearrsquos Day started affecting the essential supply chains with the statelevel coordinator of the oil industry in Maharashtra pressing the panic button seeking the invocation of the Essential Services Maintenance Act ESMA in the evening the Maharashtra government invoked the law and directed the police and district administration to act swiftly to render all possible assistance to oil companiesThe Maharashtra government has directed all district administrations and police machinery to render all possible assistance to keep smooth supplies and not affect essential servicesRajendra B Aklekar