Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has said that his ministry will soon come with new driving policy rules under which applicants will have to clear a theoretical test online. Highlighting those road accidents are a result of human behaviour, Nitin Gadkari, lamented that even after being Transport Minister for nine years, he could not reduce the number of road accidents.
Talking to India TV Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Rajat Sharma on Aap Ki Adalat Garkari said 1.5 lakh deaths occur every year, and out of them, 60 per cent are in the 18-34 years age group. He said, "I admit, even after being Transport Minister for nine years, I could not reduce the number of road accidents. Every year, there are more than 5 lakh road accidents, and nearly 3 lakh people suffer disabilities. 1.5 lakh deaths occur every year, and out of them, 60 per cent are in the 18-34 years age group. We spent Rs 10,000 crore to identify black spots where accidents frequently occur. We are building underpasses and bridges at those spots."
"Secondly, we have made six air bags mandatory in economy model cars. Thirdly, we are going to make strict enforcement. People do not respect law and have no fear. Nearly 3 per cent GDP loss takes place every year because of road accidents. I feel sorry that the largest number of road accidents take place in India. We are therefore making changes in driving license policy," he added.
Gadkari revealed that when he became Transport Minister in 2014, he conducted checks of all government vehicle drivers. "It was found that nearly 40 per cent drivers had cataract problem. A chief minister had a driver who was blind in both eyes and used to run the vehicle with the help of sound. A minister from Maharashtra told me his driver was blind in one eye....My nine-year-long experience tells me that the major reason behind road accidents is human behavior. Our values and character are quite different from those in Western countries, where they have respect and fear for laws."
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Watch full interview here:
