Road ministry proposes tech system for truckers to inform about accidents

The road transport and highways ministry on Friday said it has suggested that truck drivers could be allowed to use a technology system wherein they can inform authorities about an accident so that such an incident will not be considered as a hit-and-run case under the new law.

"The matter comes under the Ministry of Home Affairs and it will take the final decision," road transport and highways secretary Anurag Jain said.

His comments come days after some truckers went on a strike to protest against stringent provisions for hit-and-run cases under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which is yet to come into force. Earlier this week, the protesting truckers resumed work after talks with the government.

According to Jain, truck drivers feel that if they stop after hitting a person to help the victim, they will be harmed by the public.

"So we can use technology innovatively to find out the solution... We have suggested that the driver use a technology system to inform authorities, and then it would not be treated as a hit-and-run case.

"After that, the driver can subsequently inform police within 25-50 km area from the accident site," he added.

Against the backdrop of the truckers' protest, representatives of All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) held a meeting with senior home ministry officials.

On January 2, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said the decision to invoke the new hit-and-run cases-related penal provision, which has sparked protests by truckers, will be taken only after consultation with the AIMTC representatives.

Some truck, bus and tanker operators had gone on a three-day strike in several states to protest against the "stringent punishments" provisions.

Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, set to replace the Indian Penal Code, drivers who run away without informing authorities after being involved in serious road accidents due to negligent driving face up to 10 years in prison or a fine of Rs 7 lakh.

The punishment in such cases was two years in the British-era Indian Penal Code (IPC).