Hit-and-runs: truckers and the Indian economy
NEW DELHI : Truckers are protesting against proposed stringent punishment for hit-and-run accidents. It has led to fuel shortages in many cities and put the spotlight on the importance of this sector. Mint looks at the economics of truckers and their impact on the economy.
Provisions under the new criminal code, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, passed in the winter session of Parliament, provide for jail terms of up to 10 years (against two years earlier) or a ₹7 lakh fine if any driver flees an accident spot or fails to report the incident. Transporters say the provision would discourage people from taking up trucking as a profession and would further exacerbate the problem of driver shortages in India. They feel truck drivers are often unfairly targeted in case of an accident and they are often forced to flee—not to evade arrest but to save their lives from angry crowds.
India reported an 11% increase in road accidents in 2022 at 446,768 and a 10% increase in fatalities at 171,100. Pedestrians and two-wheeler riders accounted for 60% of the deaths while truck and lorry drivers made up less than 9%. So truck drivers aren’t more vulnerable; are they more culpable? This is difficult to say, as NCRB data doesn’t specify who is at fault in an accident.
But other numbers indicate culpability. National highways, with just 2.1% of the country’s road network, accounted for 30.5% of accidents and 35% of fatalities. Trucks may be playing a role in the fatalities mentioned above.
The immediate impact was felt on fuel availability with around 2,000 bunks running out of petrol by the evening on Tuesday. This was also due to panic buying as news about the strike spread. The AIMTC—the umbrella body of transporters—has asked truckers to
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