Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced that a Good Samaritan who helps a road accident victim reach a hospital will receive an award of Rs 25 thousand.
On Thursday, January 8, he also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will soon launch the cashless treatment scheme for road accident victims across India.
“The prime minister will formally launch the cashless treatment scheme for road accident victims soon,” Gadkari said at a press conference after chairing an annual meeting of transport ministers from all states and Union Territories.
The meeting focused on critical issues such as road safety, passenger and public convenience, ease of doing business, and automobile regulations.
Cashless treatment scheme for road accident victims
On March 14, 2024, the ministry launched a pilot programme in Chandigarh to provide cashless treatment to road accident victims, which was later expanded to six states.
The cashless treatment scheme is aimed at reducing the number of deaths arising from road accidents every year due to a delay in timely medical intervention.
Under the Cashless Treatment of Road Accident Victims Scheme, 2025, the victims are entitled to cashless treatment up to Rs 1.5 lakh per victim per accident for a maximum period of 7 days from the date of the accident. The scheme is applicable to all road accidents caused by the use of a motor vehicle on any category of road.
“Any person being a victim of a road accident, arising out of the use of a motor vehicle, occurring on any road, shall be entitled to cashless treatment in accordance with the provisions of this scheme,” the notification said.
Good Samaritans
Those who help the victim in reaching the hospital will not only receive a cash award but will also be called ‘Rahveers’ under the scheme.
The Minister stated that the pilot phase of the scheme has recently been completed successfully across several states and union territories, such as Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, and Chandigarh.
With inputs from PTI
