Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has unveiled a “Cashless Treatment” scheme designed to provide financial support for road accident victims. Under this initiative, the government will cover medical expenses of up to ₹1.5 lakh for seven days of treatment, provided the accident is reported to the police within 24 hours.
Speaking about the scheme, Gadkari stated, “We have started a new scheme – Cashless Treatment. Immediately after an accident occurs, within 24 hours, when the information goes to the Police, we will provide expenses for seven-day treatment of the patient who gets admitted or a maximum of up to ₹1.5 Lakhs for treatment. We will also provide ₹2 lakh for the deceased in hit-and-run cases.”
The initiative also includes an ex-gratia payment of ₹2 lakh to families of victims who lose their lives in hit-and-run incidents.
Alarming Road Safety Statistics
The Union Minister emphasized that road safety is the government’s highest priority, citing grim statistics to underscore the urgency of the issue. In 2024 alone, approximately 1.80 lakh people lost their lives in road accidents. A significant portion of these fatalities—30,000—occurred due to individuals not wearing helmets.
“In the meeting, the first priority is for road safety, and in the year 2024, 1.80 lakh deaths have occurred in road safety. 30,000 people have died because of not wearing helmets. The second serious thing is that 66% of accidents have occurred in people between the ages of 18 to 34,” Gadkari elaborated.
Gadkari also shed light on another distressing statistic: 10,000 children died in accidents caused by poor infrastructure at entry and exit points near schools and colleges. “10,000 children have died due to a lack of proper arrangement at the exit-entry point in front of our schools and colleges. Rules have also been made for the autorickshaws and minibuses for schools as there have been significant number of deaths due to this. After identifying all the black spots, everyone decided together that we would try to reduce it,” he stated.
Focus on Collaborative Efforts
These announcements came after a high-level meeting chaired by Gadkari at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi. The meeting brought together transport ministers from various states and union territories to discuss road safety and transportation-related policies.
The event aimed to foster collaboration between the union and state governments, ensuring more effective implementation of measures to improve road safety. The minister stressed the importance of collective efforts in reducing fatalities and enhancing transportation systems across the country.
By prioritizing initiatives such as the “Cashless Treatment” scheme and addressing critical issues like black spots and inadequate infrastructure near schools, the government seeks to make tangible progress in its mission to save lives on India’s roads.
