|
$151 million paid to traffic accident victims
The Social Welfare Department (SWD) paid out $151.1 million from the Traffic Accident Victims Assistance (TAVA) Fund in the 2003/04 financial year to help traffic accident victims or their dependants. The total amount of assistance paid has decreased by 0.1 per cent as compared to $151.3 million in the previous year. According to the 2003/2004 TAVA Fund annual report, 8,018 applications were received during the period, compared with 8,079 in the previous year, a decrease of 0.8%. Police figures showed that there was a decrease of 10.6% in the number of traffic casualties from 20,271 in 2002/2003 to 18,131 in the year reported. However, the rate of application for TAVA increased from 39.9% to 44.2%. "The increase in application rate indicates that more people are aware of their right to apply for assistance in the event of traffic accidents," a department spokesman said today (November 6). The highest award of the year amounting to $148,680 was granted to the surviving dependants of a fatal case. The department processed 87 serious traffic accident cases during the year. The accident resulting in the largest number of victims occurred on July 10, 2003, at Tuen Mun Road in Ting Kau where a bus fell from a flyover, killing 21 and injuring 20 passengers. As at March 31, 2004, a total of $2.95 million had been paid out under the Scheme to the victims or their dependants. "In major traffic accidents, staff from the TAVA Section would take the initiatives to contact victims or their dependants immediately to help them apply at an early date," the spokesman said. The spokesman explained that the TAVA scheme was designed to provide speedy financial assistance to victims or their dependants on a non-means-tested basis. Applications for assistance, either in person or by post, should be made within six months of the traffic accident which must have been reported to the Police. Application forms can be obtained from the Accident Investigation Units of Regional Police Headquarters, district offices of the Home Affairs Department and SWD''''''''s TAVA Section at Room 3020, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen''''''''s Road East, Wan Chai. In addition, forms can also be downloaded from the SWD homepage at http://www.info.gov.hk/swd/. Enquiries can be made on telephone 2834 7472.
End Saturday, November 6, 2004
|