Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has stated that road safety is a critical issue for the country, expressing his concern over the increasing number of road accidents in India.
Addressing the national conclave on road safety in New Delhi today, Mr. Gadkari said that India witnesses nearly five lakh road accidents every year, resulting in approximately one lakh eighty thousand deaths. Emphasizing the importance of road engineering, he noted that the government has shifted to a performance-oriented policy, prioritizing performance audits over financial audits to ensure better accountability and quality of roads.
The Minister stated that the country's automobile industry rules and regulations and standards are now aligned with global road safety standards, ensuring improved vehicle safety across all categories.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Gadkari also highlighted the PM Rahat Scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, under which every eligible road accident victim on any type of road will be entitled to cashless treatment up to 1.5 lakh per victim for a period of seven days from the date of the accident.