Govt to launch new compensation scheme for bus accident victims | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: State govt is set to introduce a new compensation scheme where families of victims who die in bus accidents will receive Rs 2 lakh, while those injured will be entitled to Rs 50,000.
The financial assistance will be implemented through modifications to the existing solatium fund scheme, which was initiated on May 14, 2018. The decision was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by transport secretary Usha Padhee recently.
At present, the solatium scheme exclusively covers victims of hit-and-run incidents involving unidentified vehicles only. It provides Rs 2 lakh to families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those critically injured. “Now, the same compensation will be provided instantly to accident victims (dead and injured), involving private and govt-run buses,” a senior transport official said.
As per data from ‘Road Accidents In India’, 127 accident deaths were caused by buses in Odisha in 2021 and 139 in 2022. At least 546 people were injured in 2021 and 482 in 2022 due to such accidents, data revealed. The govt stated the proposed change in the solatium scheme is essential as bereaved families typically endure lengthy waiting periods, sometimes years, to receive insurance settlements after the conclusion of Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) proceedings.
“The compensation provided through the proposed scheme will be subtracted from the final settlement amount awarded by MACT,” the official said. During her recent meeting with insurance companies, Padhee instructed them not to harass claimants involving motor vehicle accidents. On March 1, TOI reported the govt’s decision to launch Electronic Detailed Accident Report (e-DAR), an online platform to enable quick access to road crash information, helping expedite compensation claims and provide swift assistance to affected families.
Padhee urged vehicle owners to obtain insurance. Official data revealed that approximately 59% of vehicles in Odisha lack insurance. More than 61.57 lakh vehicles out of 1.03 crore registered vehicles in the state are uninsured. Since Feb 1, toll booths in the state have implemented electronic detection systems to identify uninsured vehicles. The transport department now issues electronic penalty challans when vehicles without insurance are detected.
The financial assistance will be implemented through modifications to the existing solatium fund scheme, which was initiated on May 14, 2018. The decision was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by transport secretary Usha Padhee recently.
At present, the solatium scheme exclusively covers victims of hit-and-run incidents involving unidentified vehicles only. It provides Rs 2 lakh to families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those critically injured. “Now, the same compensation will be provided instantly to accident victims (dead and injured), involving private and govt-run buses,” a senior transport official said.
As per data from ‘Road Accidents In India’, 127 accident deaths were caused by buses in Odisha in 2021 and 139 in 2022. At least 546 people were injured in 2021 and 482 in 2022 due to such accidents, data revealed. The govt stated the proposed change in the solatium scheme is essential as bereaved families typically endure lengthy waiting periods, sometimes years, to receive insurance settlements after the conclusion of Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) proceedings.
“The compensation provided through the proposed scheme will be subtracted from the final settlement amount awarded by MACT,” the official said. During her recent meeting with insurance companies, Padhee instructed them not to harass claimants involving motor vehicle accidents. On March 1, TOI reported the govt’s decision to launch Electronic Detailed Accident Report (e-DAR), an online platform to enable quick access to road crash information, helping expedite compensation claims and provide swift assistance to affected families.
Padhee urged vehicle owners to obtain insurance. Official data revealed that approximately 59% of vehicles in Odisha lack insurance. More than 61.57 lakh vehicles out of 1.03 crore registered vehicles in the state are uninsured. Since Feb 1, toll booths in the state have implemented electronic detection systems to identify uninsured vehicles. The transport department now issues electronic penalty challans when vehicles without insurance are detected.
