Tuesday 17 July, 2007

Road accidents in Kerala cost Rs. 6,600 crore

Social cost of road accidents in Kerala is in the tune of Rs. 6,600 crore or more annually. Prof. Dinesh Mohan, IIT Delhi, in his report (2004) details about the estimation of social cost of road accidents and puts the social cost in India for year 2000 as Rs.55,000 crore. Kerala is ‘contributing’ 12% of the total road accidents in India, which makes the social cost of road accidents to Rs. 6,600 crore per annum. The costs include medical expenses, legal fees, property damage, insurance costs and loss of output due to death. Note that the estimated cost of the proposed 515km Expressway from Kasargod to Thiruvanathapuram was Rs. 6,400 crore and that of the proposed Metro railway in Kochi was Rs.2,000 crore. Tax collected in 2006-07 was Rs 8,600 crore.

Press release dated August 10, 2006 shown in the website of Department of Road Transport & Highways is given below.



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SOCIAL COSTS OF ROAD ACCIDENTS
New Delhi, Sravana 19, 1928
August 10, 2006
The World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention of World Health Organization in 2004, inter-alia, have indicated that without increased efforts and new initiatives, the total number of road traffic deaths worldwide and injuries is forecast to rise by some 65% between 2000 and 2020 and in low income and middle income countries deaths are expected to increase as much as 80%.

The Working Group set up by Planning Commission in the year 2000 chaired by Shri Prakash Narain, Former Chairman, Railway Board had assessed the social cost of road accidents in the country in the year 1999-2000 at Rs. 55,000 crores.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, Shri K.H. Muniyappa in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
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