On the second consecutive day, truck drivers staged protests at several places in Maharashtra on Wednesday against the stringent penal provisions for hit-and-run cases under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS).
Truck drivers blocked traffic on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway in Mira Bhayandar area of Thane district and stopped traffic on the Sion-Panvel highway at Kalamboli in Raigad district, one of the leaders of the agitators said. Road blockades were also staged at some places in Vidarbha and western Maharashtra, he said.
The drivers continued to protest despite a written assurance by the Union government and appeals by the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC). "The letter put to rest the rumours and apprehensions that the government has not given anything in writing about implementation of clause 106(2) regarding hit and run cases under the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita," said Bal Malkit Singh, chairman of the core committee and former president of AIMTC, sharing a letter dated January 8, 2024, of the Union government.
A truckers' leader told PTI that some other leaders were instigating the drivers though the union government's letter has been shared in drivers' groups. A member of petrol pump dealers association in Maharashtra said at Manmad, Miraj and other locations, some drivers had stopped refilling fuel tankers at fuel depots a day before, but the refilling resumed since the morning.
Fuel supply is less likely to be affected, unlike last week, as there were ample stocks with petrol pumps, he added.
Last week, fuel supply was affected in some parts of the country due to the drivers' agitation.
