1 Percent Highway Projects' Cost for Road Safety

With 1.5 lakh people dying in road accidents annually, the Union government plans to make it mandatory to keep one per cent of the total cost of a highway project for road safety, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday.

NEW DELHI: With 1.5 lakh people dying in road accidents annually, the Union government plans to make it mandatory to keep one per cent of the total cost of a highway project for road safety, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday.

The Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways is moving a Cabinet note to this effect. “We have prepared a policy for setting aside one per cent of the total project cost of any highway project for road safety issues. The government is likely to approve it soon,” said Gadkari.

The amount collected will be used for implementing road safety measures like fixing accident-prone spots and installing cameras and lights. The government is committed to reducing the number of road accidents and fatalities by 50 per cent by 2020. The ministry is also holding a meeting of the group of ministers on road safety and ease of transport on April 29.

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