Karnataka truck drivers’ call for strike shows divided response

BENGALURU: The planned truck drivers' strike in Karnataka against the controversial hit and run laws under the new Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita seems to have hit a few speed bumps, with some associations staying out of the protest and opting to continue operations as usual. C Naveen Reddy, the president of the Federation of Karnataka Lorry Owners' Association -- one of the protesting bodies -- told ET that 80% of his drivers are on strike, except those involved in transporting essential goods.

“Around 8-9 lakh trucks will stay off the roads. One lakh vehicles plying milk, vegetables and other essentials will be on the roads. As the strike progresses, we are also expect oil tankers to join in,” he said. Drivers in several states had held a three-day strike in the beginning of this month, and due to oil tankers joining, the states had also faced fuel shortage.

Section 106 (1 and 2) of the recently enacted Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which replaces the Indian Penal Code (IPC), punishes drivers with imprisonment of up to 10 years and up to Rs 7 lakh in fines for causing deadly hit-and-runs. The earlier law undet IPC section 304(A) treated such accidents as negligence not amounting to homicide, and the punishment was up to two years imprisonment, fines, or both.


Some trucking organisations, however, are steering clear of the protest. The Karnataka Goods Transport Association said that talks were ongoing with the Union Home ministry and urged its members to keep their offices open. “The ministry has issued a letter to our parent body, the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), stating it will not implement the law as of now and will take a call after discussions,” the association said in a statement.

The strike is also raising demands with state authorities, said Reddy. “We want the state to remove RTO check posts in the border areas. Currently, they are not manned by local authorities and our drivers are often harassed,” he said. The protestors also want the state to reduce the Rs 20,000 fine for excess projection.