India continues to top the list in road traffic fatalities; Gadkari says he tries to hide his face at global meetings | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has said he is trying to hide his face at international meetings where road accidents are discussed due to the rising number of road fatalities in India and failure to keep his promise to reduce road accidents to be reduced by 50%.
In a candid comment on the rising number of road deaths, which “claimed maximum 1,72,89 lives in 2023,” Gadkari said Lok sabha that despite several efforts, his ministry has failed to reduce the number of road accidents and deaths.
“Forget reducing the number of accidents, I have no hesitation in admitting that it has increased. When I go to international conferences where road accidents are discussed, I try to hide my face,” the minister said.
He added that India has the worst record in terms of road accidents and deaths. “I had said that by the end of 2024 we will reduce the number of accidents and deaths by 50%. Instead of a decrease, accidents and deaths have actually increased. This is an area where our department has not achieved success,” Gadkari said, prompting Speaker Om Birla to appeal to all members to contribute to the cause of road safety.
India has the dubious distinction of recording the maximum number of deaths – more than 11% of all fatalities worldwide – since the WHO began publishing the Global Status on Road Safety in 2010.
Gadkari said change in human behavior is a must to reduce accidents and deaths. The rule of law must be respected, he said. The minister also sarcastically said that India is perhaps the only country where “obtaining a driver’s license is the easiest”.
Giving details of the rising road fatalities in various states, Gadkari said Uttar Pradesh had the maximum number of road fatalities last year (23,595), followed by Tamil Nadu (18,347), Maharashtra (15,347) and Madhya Pradesh (13,798).
Gadkari also admitted that around 59% of road accidents occur on the NH network, which is a major concern for him as the Transport Minister.
Replying to a question on the recently introduced ‘cashless treatment’ (free medical care) scheme in six states, the minister said a report by Niti aayog and AIIMS shows that 30% of road deaths were due to non-availability are of immediate medical care. medical care. The cashless treatment program will address this problem and provide seven days of free medical care or treatment costing up to Rs 1.5 lakh.
“Under this scheme, free medical care has been provided to over 2,100 accident victims and the maximum amount spent for treatment was Rs 1.25 lakh. After three months, the scheme will be implemented across the country,” he said.