Indian transporters call off strike, resume work after government assurance

By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA) - A countrywide strike by truckers in India has been called off and the truckers have resumed work, after the Indian government said the new law against which the protests were launched has not been implemented yet.

Starting on Monday, drivers of trucks, buses, and other commercial vehicles launched a strike to protest the provision of a new law that introduced stricter penalties for those who flee the scene after causing a road crash, including up to 10 years imprisonment.

Bal Malkit Singh, associated with All India Motor Transport Congress, an apex body of transport operators, told Anadolu that truckers have started resuming work on Wednesday.

“We are receiving reports from across India that commercial vehicles have resumed work,” he said, adding that 9.5 million commercial vehicles operate per day in the country.

He said the government held meetings with representatives of the transport union and gave assurances to them.

Protesters blocked roads and highways in various states during the strike and some of the strikers clashed with police in the Rajasthan state.

Jaspal Singh, vice president of All India Motor Transport Congress, said while huge losses took place due to the strike, presently it was difficult to provide an exact amount of the losses incurred.

Following the meeting with union representatives, the Indian government in a late-night statement said that it has taken “cognizance of the concerns of truckers” regarding the provision of up to 10 years imprisonment and fine.

The Indian parliament last month passed new criminal laws repealing existing colonial-era criminal laws in the country.

“The government wants to point out that these new laws and provisions have not yet come into force,” the statement said, adding that the decision to invoke the new section will be taken only after consultation.

“We appeal to All India Motor Transport Congress and all the drivers to return to their respective jobs,” it said.

Due to the strike by truckers, supplies were also disrupted.

Rajiv Goyal, a fruit trader, said he was expecting supplies to arrive on Wednesday, but it did not come. “Definitely, it (strike) has impacted the supplies,” he said.

Many traders also say prices of vegetables in the market have increased because of the strike.

In many states, the strike by the truckers triggered panic buying, with people queuing outside the fuel stations to buy fuel.

In the northern city of Chandigarh, authorities on Tuesday imposed restrictions on the sale of petrol and diesel at fuel stations.

The main opposition party Indian National Congress party has criticized the government.

“(Prime Minister Narendra) Modi government’s entire style of governance and law-making is ‘hit and run’. Today’s massive truckers protests all over India is a direct consequence of this,” Jairam Ramesh, a senior party leader, wrote on X.