Drivers protest against new Road Safety Act

Malda: Various associations of vehicle drivers in Malda have started protesting and begun a strike against the new Road Safety Act of the Union Ministry. The provision of a penalty of Rs 7 lakh and 10 years imprisonment for the drivers involved in road accidents resulting in death triggered the rage of the agitators.

The commuters faced a huge problem on Tuesday due to this protest organised in several parts of the district. Even the tanker drivers of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) depot stopped working. Further the agitators have planned to continue their protest indefinitely. Shovon Ganguly, secretary of drivers association in BPCL, said: “We have stopped loading and unloading for an indefinite period from Tuesday. We want the Central government to lift such provisions in the law to penalise drivers with such a huge penalty and imprisonment.”

Osman Goni, secretary of Ratua Bus Drivers Kalyan Samity, said: “In our wage system, Rs 7 lakh cannot be accumulated in 30 years so how can we pay such a big amount. No driver commits any accident intently so if the provision in the Act is not lifted, we’ll have to leave driving as a profession and engage ourselves

in some other job.”