Tripura Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury highlights declining road fatalities, urges public awareness and responsible driving, and calls for wider awareness of Rahaveer, PM RAHAT and Hit-and-Run compensation schemes to strengthen road safety across the state.
Emphasising the need for greater public participation in preventing road accidents, Tripura Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury called for sustained awareness, responsible road use and wider dissemination of accident-support schemes at a District-Level Road Safety Awareness and Sensitisation Programme held in West Tripura.
The programme was jointly organised by the West Tripura District Administration and the Transport Department at the State Guest House, Sonar Tori, with the theme “Safe Roads, Safe Lives.” Chowdhury formally inaugurated the programme by lighting the ceremonial lamp and stressed that road safety requires more than enforcement of traffic laws.
According to the minister, creating awareness, encouraging responsible behaviour and developing a sense of mutual responsibility among road users are essential components of efforts to reduce accidents and fatalities. He urged citizens to follow traffic rules, maintain prescribed speed limits, wear helmets and seatbelts, avoid driving under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicants, and remain considerate towards pedestrians.
The minister said every life on the road is valuable and that small but consistent safety practices can help prevent serious accidents. He also underlined the importance of transforming road safety activities from occasional programmes into continuous campaigns involving public participation.
The programme also highlighted a decline in reported road fatalities in Tripura in recent years. Figures presented at the event showed 577 road accidents and 261 deaths in 2023, followed by 578 accidents and 226 deaths in 2024. In 2025, the state recorded 527 accidents and 157 deaths, while 134 fatalities had been reported up to August 2026.
Chowdhury attributed the decline to coordinated efforts by the Transport Department and police, along with increasing awareness among road users. At the same time, he stressed that continued public participation would be necessary to sustain the reduction and further improve road safety.
A major part of the programme focused on government initiatives intended to provide assistance to accident victims and encourage timely intervention.
The Rahaveer Scheme, formerly known as the Good Samaritan scheme, was highlighted as an initiative encouraging citizens to help road accident victims reach hospitals during the critical “golden hour”. Under the scheme, eligible beneficiaries can receive a reward of Rs 25,000 along with protection against police harassment. The minister noted that Tripura recognised 11 such persons in 2025 and seven in 2026, while calling for greater awareness about the initiative.
The PM RAHAT Scheme was another key initiative discussed at the programme. It provides cashless treatment of up to Rs 1.5 lakh at designated hospitals for eligible road accident victims. According to figures presented during the event, 336 beneficiaries in Tripura have received assistance under the scheme, amounting to Rs 6.16 lakh.
The minister also explained the Hit-and-Run Compensation Scheme, under which compensation of Rs 2 lakh is available in cases involving death and Rs 50,000 in cases of injury, subject to applicable rules and procedures.
Chowdhury urged elected representatives, Panchayat Samiti chairpersons, Zilla Parishad members and leaders of Urban Local Bodies to spread information about these schemes at the grassroots level. He stressed that representatives and local-level stakeholders must understand the procedures themselves so that they can effectively guide accident victims and their families.
He also called for active participation in technical sessions conducted as part of road safety programmes. Greater awareness of available assistance, he said, can help ensure that victims receive timely support and that eligible families are able to access available benefits.
The Transport Minister further emphasised the importance of coordination among the Transport Department, police, Health Department, district administration and elected representatives. Such coordination, he said, is necessary both for preventing accidents and for ensuring prompt assistance when accidents occur.
The minister also acknowledged the contribution of police and transport officials in road safety efforts and recalled the support provided by former DGP Anurag Dhankar to initiatives of the State Road Safety Council.
The programme was attended by West Tripura DM Dr Vishal Kumar, IG Law & Order Ipper Manchak, Secretary U.K. Chakma, Sabhadipati Biswajit Shil, MLA Mina Rani Sarkar and other officials.
The state government has previously stressed public awareness, enforcement and coordinated intervention as important elements of road safety efforts. At a 2025 meeting of the State Level Road Safety Council, the Transport Department also highlighted awareness campaigns, the Good Samaritan initiative, the Hit-and-Run Scheme and cashless treatment for accident victims as key measures.
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The West Tripura programme concluded with a renewed emphasis on collective responsibility. The message from the event was that safer roads depend not only on enforcement agencies but also on conscious drivers, responsible pedestrians and informed citizens. Wider awareness of traffic rules and victim-support schemes is therefore being positioned as an important part of Tripura’s continuing road safety efforts.
