Protesters blocked the Pune-Solapur national highway near Khadki in support of the state-wide strike by the transport association and driver community against the new law enacted by the Centre.

Pune: On Monday afternoon, members of the transport association and drivers protested the new regulation imposed by the Centre by blocking the Pune-Solapur national highway near Khadki in Daund taluka. They also set fire to tyres as part of their state-wide walkout.It was around 1 pm and the traffic towards Pune was backed up for more than an hour.

On the grounds that the rule may cause excessive harassment, truckers went on strike to protest a section of the recently approved Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita criminal code that levies a ₹7 lakh fine and a 10-year jail sentence for hit-and-run incidents. Passengers voiced their dissatisfaction at the prolonged lack of response from the police and other officials at the protest site.

Since many drivers cannot afford the hefty charge, the law is unjust to them. Would we still be drivers now if we could have afforded the ₹7 lakh fine? Many have borrowed money to purchase cars. The transportation industry has a smaller profit margin due to rising fuel prices and high-interest loans. Furthermore, auto accidents and breakdowns raise the expense, according to driver Santosh Shinde. The demonstrators claimed that the new law would force them to close for business. They insisted on changing the new law.