Gadkari: Soon, Rs 7,500-crore scheme to reduce road mishaps

Replying to questions in Rajya Sabha, Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said the NHAI has identified 3,750 black spots on national highways and more such accident-prone areas are being added to the list. Gadkari said India does not have a very good record on road accident front and registers the world’s highest deaths due to it at 1.5 lakh every year.

“The government is very sensitive about this issue. We will soon implement a Rs 7,500-crore plan with the support of the World Bank across the country…We have urged the World Bank to implement this programme across the country. We will soon get Cabinet approval on this scheme, which will help improve accident-prone and black spots on national highways and state roads,” he told the House.

Gadkari said 65 per cent of those who die every year in road accidents were in the 18-45 age group. He said the scheme has been implemented in Tamil Nadu with the help of the World Bank and there is already a 50 per cent reduction in accidents and deaths.

“This is a very unfortunate subject. As many people do not die in war or Covid. Every year 5 lakh people die, which is the highest in the world. We have to work on it,” Gadkari said. The minister said there was a need for creating awareness, observance of rules, and improving road engineering and automobile engineering.

Replying to another question, Gadkari said there will be a huge jump in use of electric vehicles and alternate fuel in the coming years.