Nearly 1.5 lakh people are killed in the country with more than five lakh accidents being witnessed on an average each year, government told the Lok Sabha, highlighting the seriousness of the problem.
About 78 per cent of the accidents occur due to the fault of drivers and there is a need to ensure proper training for drivers. More than five lakh road accidents take place every year and around 1.5 lakh people are killed on an average. Over four lakh are injured.
— Pon Radhakrishnan, Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways
The details came at a time when there are rising concerns about road safety amid many loss of lives in accidents.
To a query on whether there are plans to institutionalise training facilities for drivers, Radhakrishnan said licenses are given by state governments and Centre does not have any role.
The response elicited angry reactions from some members, with BJD’s Tathagata Satpathy saying that many people are dying on the roads every day but the government takes it casually.
Intervening, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu said the Centre and states must work together to come up with a solution.
The Ministry has a scheme for setting up Institutes of Driving Training and Research (IDTR). Pune-based Central Institute for Road Transport (CIRT) monitors the progress of IDTR that are sanctioned by the Ministry.
The progress is also reviewed in the Ministry in meetings held under the chairmanship of senior officers from time to time. No state has been found misusing the funds.
— Government of India
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