Transport: India loses 3% of GDP due to road accidents, says Gadkari
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road, Transport, and Highways, on Tuesday said India is losing 3 percent of its GDP due to nearly 5 lakh road accidents per annum in the country.
Addressing the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM)’ s event on “Technology Interventions For Road Safety: US-India Partnership,” he said one of the most important problem India faces is road accidents. Every year, India sees 480,000 accidents, causing 188,000 deaths of people aged between 18 and 45 years. Of them, 10,000 deaths are of children below 18 years.
Gadkari said, “It is one of the major public health issues and the most important thing is also, we are losing 3 percent of GDP because of road accidents.”
He cited poor detailed project reports (DPRs) as one of the key reasons for accidents.
“DPR consultants are the main culprits who are responsible for the road accidents. (They prepare DPRs) sometimes, because of cost saving, other different reasons and non-serious approach….,” he said.
To promote helping of accident victims, the government has decided to provide an award of Rs 25,000.
“We have decided that any third person helping the victim of an accident, will be cash-awarded Rs. 25,000. Also, if any patient, by accident or after it, is admitted to any hospital…we can give him Rs 150,000 or 7 years expenditure for his treatment from the doctor,” he said.
