Assam: Commercial and Public Vehicles Stay Off Roads as 48-Hour Transport Strike Begins

GG News Bureau
Guwahati, 5th Jan. Commercial vehicles and other modes of public transportation were not operating in most parts of Assam on Friday due to a 48-hour strike organized by a joint forum of transport unions. The strike was called to protest against the new penal law regarding hit-and-run cases.

Office-goers faced difficulties in reaching their workplaces as buses, taxis, and app cabs were not available due to the strike. Ramen Das, the convenor of Assam Motor Worker Associations’ Joint Platform, expressed his dissatisfaction with the government’s approach, stating, “The government tends to blame drivers for any unfortunate incident, even if they are not responsible. Instead of improving road conditions, they are punishing the poor drivers.”

Das further explained, “The new law on hit-and-run cases is unfair to drivers and vehicle owners. We are calling for a strike of all vehicles from 5 am on Friday to 5 am on Sunday to demand the withdrawal of this legislation.”

Talks with government officials on Thursday night did not lead to any progress, according to Das. Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which is set to replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC), drivers who cause serious road accidents due to negligence and flee without informing the police or administration can face up to 10 years in prison or a fine of Rs 7 lakh.

In the British-era IPC, the punishment for such offenses was two years.

The transporters’ platform has also called on private car owners to join the protest, as the law applies to everyone regardless of whether they are driving a commercial vehicle or a small car, Das added.

Meanwhile, there were long queues at petrol pumps across the state as people rushed to fill their fuel tanks due to fears of a supply shortage.