Kolkata, Dec 10 : Commuters today faced immense problems in West Bengal after transporters called for a day long strike to protest against Section 304 of Indian Penal Code, under which bus drivers are arrested for negligence in all accident cases.

Private buses were off the roads in Kolkata in response to the strike call by Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).

The commuters complained they were facing a lot of problems because of frequent strike calls.

"The taxi and all other private vehicles are charging huge sums and we are not able to reach our destinations in stipulated time," said Rana Dutta, a commuter.

"It is a very unnecessary hassle for us. We are facing a lot of problems. I don''t know who are the people who have called the strike on a week day and on a school day," said Jyotirmoy Bose, another commuter.

With death toll in road accidents on the increase, the government decided to take action against errant drivers, but CITU claims drivers alone are not responsible for the accidents and that passengers and pedestrians too lack awareness of traffic rules. (ANI)