Hit and run law: Commercial, public vehicles off roads in Assam as 48-hour transport strike begins
Guwahati, Jan 5: Commercial vehicles and other modes of public transport stayed off the roads in most parts of Assam on Friday, owing to a 48-hour strike called by a joint forum of transporters' unions to protest against the new penal law on hit-and-run cases.
Office-goers had a difficult time reaching their workplaces as buses, taxis and app cabs didn't ply, abiding by the strike call.
"The government only wants to blame drivers for any unfortunate incident even if they may not have committed the crime. Instead of improving road conditions, they are penalising the poor drivers," said Ramen Das, the convenor of Assam Motor Worker Associations' Joint Platform.
"The new law on hit-and-run cases is anti-drivers and is against owners of vehicles. We call for a strike of all vehicles from 5 am on Friday to 5 am on Sunday to press for our demand for withdrawal of the legislation," Das said.
Talks with officials of the state government on Thursday night failed to make any headway, he added.
Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which is set to replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC), drivers, who cause serious road accidents due to negligent driving and run away without informing police or the administration, can face up to 10 years in prison or a fine of Rs 7 lakh.
The punishment for such offences was two years in the British-era IPC.
The transporters' platform has also urged private car owners to join the stir, as the law is applicable to everyone irrespective of whether someone is driving a commercial vehicle or a small car, Das said.
Meanwhile, long queues were seen at petrol pumps across the state, with people lining up to fill fuel tanks amid fears of supply crunch.
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Kerala woman missing in Tadiandamol Hills found safe, brought back
Bengaluru (PTI): A 36-year-old woman who went missing while trekking in the Tadiandamol hills of Kodagu district four days ago has been found, the office of Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre said on Sunday.
Official sources said she is safe and is being brought back.
G S Sharanya had travelled alone from Kerala for the trek and was staying at a private homestay in Kakkabe village.
She had set out for the high mountain range of Tadiandamol hills on April 2 with a guide and 15 other trekkers, but went missing that afternoon.
Earlier, the minister said additional personnel and drone cameras had been deployed to search for her, following Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s instructions to intensify the operation.
As soon as her disappearance was reported, five teams comprising 50 personnel—including police, the anti-Naxal squad, a dog squad, and forest staff—were formed to conduct searches.
With four additional teams of 40 personnel deployed, a total of nine teams were involved in the operation.
The young woman had last contacted the homestay by phone on Thursday, saying she had lost her way.
The minister had earlier said, “We are conducting the search based on her last phone location. Local tribal people have also rushed to help, and sophisticated thermal drone cameras have been deployed, along with an additional team starting today.”
