HIT-AND-RUN LAW: WHY BUS & TRUCK OPERATORS WENT ON A STRIKE?

Protests by transporters and auto drivers are erupting opposing the proposed tightening of Section 104 in recent legislative changes.

- ASHISH SINHA

Truck, bus and tanker drivers are on a three-day strike to protest against the stringent jail and fine regulations under the newly-launched Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) for hit and-run cases.

Each year, thousands fall victim to hit-and-run incidents, often losing their lives due to delayed medical attention. The proposed laws dictate that in hit-and-run cases, fleeing individuals arrested for leaving an injured person alone may face up to a 10-year imprisonment alongside fines. Conversely, drivers who promptly report accidents may receive reduced penalties.

A Report of Ministry of road and Highways says that approximatly 5,00,000 people got injured in road accident in 2023.

'India witnessed a 9.4% increase in fatalities due to road accidents in 2022 with 1.68 lakh people losing their lives last year either due to reckless driving, over speeding, drunken driving and non-compliance of traffic regulations while the total number of accidents went up by 11.9% to 4.61 lakh', the ministry of road transport and highways said in its report.

This translates into 19 deaths every hour and 53 accidents per hour. The report said the number of injured people was 15.3% higher compared to last year at 4.43 lakh.

As per the report, for the fourth consecutive year in 2022, the fatal road accident victims largely constitute young people in the productive age groups. “Young adults in the age group of 18 - 45 years accounted for 66.5% of victims during 2022,” the report said, adding that people in the working age group of 18 – 60 years share 83.4% of total road accident fatalities.