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MISHAPS

crore has already been incurred till Sharavathi backwaters, approaches programme would be launched under
November 2019 including IEBR of between Ambargodu and Kalasvali in the project “Integrated Road Accident
NHAI. Karnataka and 16 packages of Trans Database (IRAD)”. IT based road safety
With a view to augmenting sources Rajasthan Highways project have been infrastructure would be erected on the
of funding for NH projects, the NHAI awarded. A three-lane underpass inau- entire four lane and above Highways.
intends to raise Rupees one lakh crore gurated at Parade Road junction near Incidence management systems shall
through Toll-Operate-Transfer (TOT) Manekshaw Centre on NH 8 in New also be provided on all such Highways.
Model of asset monetization in the next Delhi on 12.07.2019. With opening of
five years. Finances are also likely to this underpass, movement of traffic he Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 has
accrue from Securitization of Toll Rev- from Airport to Dhaula Kuan has be- been amended first time in a
enues as well as the setting up of Infra come signal free. T comprehensive way after thirty
Investment Trust (InvIT). Other steps Dasna-Hapur section of Delhi- years by The Motor Vehicles (Amend-
being taken by NHAI include financing Meerut Expressway (package-3) in ment) Act, 2019, passed by the Parlia-
new projects through National Invest- Uttar Pradesh’s Pilakhuwa has been ment and published in the Gazette
ment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) inaugurated by the Hon’ble Minister, of India on 9thAugust 2019. The Act
supported SPVs. Shri Nitin Gadkari on 30th September, is likely to bring reforms in the area
With a view to expanding the project 2019. The completion of this section is of Road Safety, bring citizen facilitation,
base available with NHAI for monetiza- transparency, and reduce corruption
tion under TOT mode and for raising with the help of information technol-
finance against toll receipts from iden- The World Health ogy and removing intermediaries.
tified Public Funded/Hybrid Annuity The Act will strengthen public trans-
Model (HAM) projects through secu- Organization data suggest port, safeguard and protect Good
ritization, the Cabinet Committee on that while India has just Samaritan and reform the insurance
Economic Affairs (CCEA) has accorded and compensation regime. It will al-
the following approval (vide commu- one per cent of the world’s low innovation and new technologies
nication no. CCEA/20/2019 (i) dated vehicles but the country such as driverless vehicles, to be test-
25.11.2019 ): ed in live environment and increase
In order to enhance NHAI’s resource accounts massive for six efficiency in research. The Act will
mobilization, the Cabinet has accorded per cent of the world’s facilitate Divyang by allowing motor
the following approval (vide communi- vehicles to be converted to adapted
cation 39/CM/2019(i) dated 13.12.2019): road traffic accidents, vehicles with post-facto approval and
The work of major bridge across facilitating licence to drive adapted
highlights the Ministry vehicles. The provisions of compensa-
of Road Transport tion and post — accident treatment
and Highways have been amended and measures will
be taken provide cashless treatment for
accident victims.
• Rash drive Road mishaps claimed a However, what is needed is that the
total of 1,51,471 people in 2018 expected to further help in decongest- government should link insurance
ing the National Capital Region, bring premium of the vehicle or driver with
down pollution levels and reduce trav- the driving behaviour. A driver with
el time significantly. The integrated bus bad traffic history should pay more
ports in Cuttack (Odisha) and in Baddi insurance premium compared to safe
(Himachal Pradesh) have been ap- drivers. Alongside, the government
proved and the DPRs thereon are un- should make investment in rail and bus
der progress. transport to increase the share of pub-
A State Support Programme aimed lic transport. It has been observed that
at incentivising the States to improve road accidents in India are increasing
their road safety performance is pro- owing to rapid urbanization and high-
posed to launched to reduce the overall est motorization growth rate. Public
fatalities by road accidents by 25 per transport will help to reduce the num-
cent by 2024. With a view to accurately ber of road accidents and accidental
recording the accident details so that deaths.
timely corrective action is undertaken
a Geo-Tagged accident data collection LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM

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