New Delhi, January 8, 2025 — In a vastly significant move prioritized in road safety amelioration and offering medical assistance to victims of road accidents, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has announced the Cashless Treatment scheme, to be launched across the nation.
Providing the transfer of resources for hospital treatment of the accident victim is the essence of this program, the upper ceiling of which is pegged at ₹1.5 lakh, to ensure that in the very critical post-accident period, all required care reaches the victim in time.
Features of the Scheme
The assistance scheme will cover medical aid up to ₹1.5 lakh for a period of seven days after a road accident. Also, the case should be reported to the police within 24 hours of the accident.
This reporting is very crucial for the medically abandoned victims of road accidents so that they can be treated immediately and not financially subjected to future or possible threats.
With respect to the hit-and-run, the scheme offers an ex-gratia payment of ₹2 lakh to the family of the deceased victim. This aims to provide the family with financial help and solace in their hour of grief.
Implementation and Nationwide Launch
The rollout of the scheme across the nation is expected to commence by March 2025. It will cover these accidents involving motor vehicles-all through the combined setup of hospitals, police authorities, and the National Health Authority (NHA).
A unified IT platform will be developed to ensure seamless cooperation between the three parties, guaranteeing an efficient and timely provision of treatment services to the accident victims.
The pilot program
The scheme started as the first pilot program for ensuring timely medical treatment for trauma victims, mainly for those affected in the ‘golden hour’ immediately after the accident. The pilot started on March 14, 2024, in Chandigarh. After the pilot project, it has expanded into six other states.
Addressing Alarming Road Accident Statistics
While announcing the project, Minister Gadkari revealed disturbing statistics to underline the urgency of improving present road safety measures. In 2024, national road accident statistics showed that around 1,80,000 people were killed in road accidents, with nearly 30,000 of these deaths due to non-wearing of helmets, thus accentuating the importance of compliance with safety protocols.
It was noticed that a large part of such fatalities involved young adults falling in the age group of 18–34 years, indicating an urgent need for policies and interventions that are adjusted towards the protection of this vulnerable segment. The minister also pointed to the loss of around 10,000 children in 2024 due to poor infrastructure located close to schools.
Comprehensive Measures for Enhanced Road Safety
In responding to these challenges, the government has planned the implementation of several measures that would enhance road safety in the entire country. These include:
- New Regulations for Autorickshaws and School Minivans: Establishing stricter safety standards to protect passengers, especially school children.
- Identification and Rectification of ‘Black Spots’: Rectification of accident-prone areas so that future occurrences are avoided.
- Development of Driver Training Institutes: Fulfillment of their mandate of enhancing driver education that should actuate safe driving.
- Implementation of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems for Trucks: Employing technology to reduce human errors and thus enhance vehicle safety.
‘Cashless Treatment’ encapsulates the introduction of an important step within India’s existing emergency response framework on road accidents. It would help the government raise hopes for improved survival and better outcomes for injured victims by minimizing the immediate financial hurdle to medical attention.
Further enhancements through safety policy measures and public awareness campaigns would reassert the nation’s commitment to reducing carnage on the roads and actions toward creating a safe atmosphere for safe transportation.
