NewDelhi: In a major step toward road safety improvement and the popularisation of public life-saving practices, the Minister for Union Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has declared a huge increase in the award for Good Samaritans who help road accident victims.
The minister shared the news that the reward for people who promptly take accident victims to the hospitals up to an hour after the accident has shifted from the current amount of ₹5,000 to ₹25,000, which is 5 times more than before.
During a talk with actor Anupam Kher regarding the issue of road safety, Gadkari drew attention to the need for early medical treatment for the accident victims. “I have instructed my ministry to increase the reward amount. The current sum given to someone who performs such a valuable act of saving a life is far too little,” Gadkari said.
The Good Samaritan scheme, launched in October 2021, is dedicated to encouraging and recognising those people who help the victims of car accidents. The Ministry of Road Transport describes a Good Samaritan as a person who, without the expectation of financial gain, voluntarily helps the injured in a crisis.
In addition to the monetary reward, the scheme also provides a certificate of recognition. The ministry has established multiple levels of verification and support to make sure that the reward is given only to authentic individuals.
Even though the scheme is a stride toward public cooperation in road safety, the figures related to the number of Good Samaritans who assisted others in saving lives or were given rewards for doing so are yet to be shared with the public.
This announcement comes along with other recent major steps to promote road safety. Gadkari has been talking about plans for a ‘Cashless Treatment Scheme’ for the road accident victims, which is to be implemented by March 2025. The scheme will allow cashless treatment of up to ₹1.5 lakhs for the first seven days of hospitalisation for road accident victims.
These are the steps that the government is actually taking to both minimise road accident deaths and enhance the systems’ emergency responses on roads in India.