Question : ACCIDENT RELIEF POLICY

(a) whether a number of accidents have been reported on various National Highways and Expressways and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the National Accident Relief Policy and National Intelligent Transport System Fund have been set up or proposed to be set up for the benefit of accident victims and if so, the details and status thereof;

(c) whether the steps have been taken by the Government to implement road safety rules as per international standards and training/awareness campaigns for road users so as to prevent road accidents; and

(d) if so, the details and the outcome thereof?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS (SHRI PON. RADHAKRISHNAN)

(a) to (d) A statement is laid on the table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 146 ANSWERED ON 05.03.2015 ASKED BY SHRI PANKAJ CHAUDHARY AND SHRI RAMKUMAR SHARMA ON ACCIDENT RELIEF POLICY

(a) The details of accidents on National Highways, as per the latest publication on road accident data brought out by the Transport Research Wing of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, is placed at Annexure-I. According to this, total 1,36,786 number of accidents were reported on various National Highways ( including Expressways).

(b) No, madam. However, the Ministry is implementing a pilot project for the cashless treatment of road accident victims on National Highways on the Gurgaon-Jaipur, Mumbai-Vadodara stretches of NH – 8 and Ranchi-Rangaon–Mahulia stretch of NH-33. Under the project, ambulances have been deployed at intervals of 20 kilometres and the Government bears the expense of treatment of the road accident victim up to a limit of Rs.30,000 or 48 hours, whichever is earlier.

(c) & (d) The Government has formulated a multi-pronged strategy for improving road safety based on the globally accepted strategy of 4 E’s viz. Education, Engineering (both of roads and vehicles), Enforcement and Emergency care and circulated to all the States for implementation. The Government is also implementing a scheme for setting up of model driving training schools in all the States. Awareness and advocacy campaigns also are undertaken by the Ministry through print and electronic media. Road accident fatalities have shown a declining trend during the last three years.