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The Social Welfare Department (SWD) paid out $155.1 million from the Traffic Accident Victims Assistance (TAVA) Fund in the 2006-07 financial year to help traffic accident victims or their dependants.
The total amount of assistance paid has decreased by 5.1% from the $163.5 million paid in the previous year.
According to the 2006-2007 TAVA Fund annual report, 9,092 applications were received during the period, compared with 9,010 in the previous year, an increase of 0.9%.
Police figures showed that there was a decrease of 0.08% in the number of traffic casualties, from 19,058 in the previous year to 19,043 in 2006-07. However, the rate of application for TAVA increased from 47.3% to 47.7%.
"The highest award of the year amounting to $120,180 was granted to the victim of a serious injury case,"a department spokesman said today (November 6).
The department processed 113 serious traffic accident cases during the year.
The accident resulting in the largest number of victims occurred on July 3, 2006, when four vehicles collided inside Cheung Tsing Tunnel in Kwai Chung District. Forty people were injured in this accident, and 33 of them were eligible for TAVA. To March 31, 2007, a total of $160,000 had been paid out under the scheme to the victims in the accident or their dependants.
"In major traffic accidents, staff from the TAVA Section would take the initiative 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.
Forms can also be downloaded from the SWD homepage at www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/index.html. Telephone enquiries can be made at 2834 7472.
Ends/Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Issued at HKT 11:30
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