New Delhi, Mar 31 (IANS): In what may be a big relief to road accident victims, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is planning cashless treatment for the victims, including drivers, passengers, pedestrians and cyclists, on identified national highway stretches between Delhi-Mumbai, Mumbai-Chennai, Chennai-Kolkata, Kolkata-Agra and Agra-Delhi corridors of the Golden Quadrilateral for treatment of bodily injuries caused due to road accidents.

The scheme will cover the immediate needs of hospitalisation of the victims for the first 48 hours from the time of hospitalisation or providing necessary treatment, whichever occurs earlier, up to a cost of Rs 30,000 starting from the time of the ambulance reaching the accident site as recorded in the control room.

The tender for the cashless treatment facility has been invited from the insurance companies registered with IRDAI or enabled by a Central legislation to undertake insurance-related activities for at least the last five years having a claim settlement ratio of not less than 85 per cent in the last three years.

Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said in the Lok Sabha that the lessons from the implementation of this scheme may be extended to other national highways as well, and the success of the scheme may be assessed only after it is implemented on the ground following conclusion of the bidding process and on-boarding of the selected insurance company.