Karnataka truck drivers to go on indefinite strike from today
truck drivers in the state, and we will be going on a strike. All heavy vehicles will go off-road from January 17," Reddy said as quoted by several media reports. Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which is set to replace the Indian Penal Code, drivers who cause serious road accidents due to negligent driving and run away without informing authorities face up to 10 years in prison or a fine of ₹7 lakh.
The punishment in such cases was two years in the British-era Indian Penal Code (IPC). Earlier this month, the new provisions had triggered strikes by drivers in several states, including Maharashtra, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and several other states. Massive queues of customers were seen at fuel stations across states as the truckers' strike hit supplies and triggered panic-buying.
In addition to petrol, the supply of vegetables in wholesale markets was also affected. In Delhi, traders had told PTI that there was a 10-15 per cent rise in prices of vegetables in the national capital due to the slowdown. Meanwhile, on 2 January, after a meeting with Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, the All India Motor Transport Association (AIMTC) decided to end the nationwide truck drivers protests against the new hit-and-run law.
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