Transporters income is less than the fines imposed on them

At the Nadra bus stand in Bhopal, Mohammad Nawaz finds himself perched on the ground, his back resting on the bus he used to drive until December 31st. A nationwide strike of transporters, ongoing for two days, has ground wheels to a halt countrywide, including in his state. The usually busy streets now carry a rare emptiness. Petrol pumps display lengthy queues, and people are accumulating goods – from groceries like fruits and vegetables to fuel like petrol and diesel – and stockpiling them in their homes.

Transporter's Strike: What's the matter?

During the recent winter session of Parliament, the Indian Judicial Code, which replaces the 163-year-old Indian Penal Code (IPC), was approved. Numerous laws have also been amended. The new law stipulates a 10-year prison sentence and a Rs 7 lakh fine in cases of death resulting from negligence. As per Section 106 (2) of the Indian Justice (Second) Code, if someone dies from being hit by a vehicle driven recklessly, and the driver flees the scene without informing the police, they will be subject to a 10-year imprisonment and fine.

Have the drivers had any misunderstandings?

An official of the Transport Department says on the condition of anonymity,

"Drivers have misunderstood the law. Instead of fleeing the scene, if they report to the police, they won't face any consequences."

Mohammad Nawaz, however, asserts that the bigger/larger vehicle is always at fault.

Another bus driver present at Nadra bus stand in Bhopal says. “The most difficult thing is to save oneself from the crowd after an accident. Many times the mob's intention is to kill (the driver).”

Been going to court for the last 10 years

In August 2013, Riyazul Hasan was driving the bus from Rehti to Bhopal. At one point, he pulled over and parked his bus. During this time, two motorcyclists passed by in the opposite direction and collided in front of his bus. Hasan decided it was best to report the incident to the nearest police station. Another police officer who was travelling on the bus accompanied him to the station. However, upon arriving, he was held for an extended period. And, eventually, the police filed a case against him.

"I received instructions to wait until TI (Town Inspector) Saab comes, who later lodged a case against me. My bus was seized..., I was sentenced two years in prison."

Following these events, Hasan appealed to the sessions court and was subsequently sentenced to one year of imprisonment. After spending 56 days in Gauharganj jail, he recently secured bail from the Jabalpur High Court.

The number of cases amid the financial crisis

Hasan has spent around ₹ 3 lakh in the judicial process in the last 10 years. This is a big amount for him. “The fine the government is trying to penalise from us with is more than our annual salary,” Hasan explains. He further says that his monthly income is only eight to ten thousand rupees. In this also, on the day he does not go to work, his salary is deducted. Whereas Nawaz says, “If we go to jail for 10 years, our children will have to beg on the streets.” He asks if someone had that much money, would they be driving a bus?

Transporter's strike: People kept searching for bus all day long

The bus and other transport services strike by drivers has had a significant impact on the general public. A Lucknow resident, Sachin Singh, arrived in Bhopal by train from his home city but now finds himself without any transportation to go to Indore. For the past three hours, he has been waiting at Bhopal's Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT). Concurrently, Shubham, journeying from Rajasthan to Hyderabad with a midway stop in Bhopal, is seated inside the ISBT, now facing an uncertain continuation of his trip.

“The driver has said that he will let us know at 4 o'clock whether he will take us to Hyderabad or not. If he refuses to go further, I will have to go back to Rajasthan by any means.” Says 26-year-old Shubham.

The impact of the transporter's strike was largely evident in Bhopal, disrupting all passenger bus and freight services. This provoked disturbance among people on the roads. The situation was opportunistically used by auto and e-rickshaw drivers to demand higher prices from passengers. The shutdown of bus services resulted in a surge in the number of train passengers.

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