Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Aug 13: Ambulances operating on national highways will now face a strict response-time benchmark, with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) directing them to reach accident sites within 10 km in 10 minutes of accepting an emergency ticket. Failure to meet the deadline could attract a penalty of Rs 10,000 for each incident.
The new guidelines also require ambulances to transport accident victims to the nearest hospital within one hour of accepting a ticket. A Rs 10,000 penalty will be imposed for failure to meet this deadline.
Issued on Wednesday, the norms seek to strengthen the Incident Management System through the NHAI Care System and improve the deployment of ambulances, cranes and patrolling vehicles.
In its policy guidelines, NHAI said, "Based on location of incident the ambulance should not take more than 10 minutes (from time of the ticket acceptance) for covering any accident within 10-km vicinity." It added, "For incident locations beyond 10 km, allowed time shall be proportionally increased. The same shall be verified through GPS data/ IMS Care Dashboard."
About 3,000 ambulances and 1,000 patrolling vehicles and cranes currently cover around 50,000 km of highways under NHAI. Under the new service-level benchmarks, rejection of an emergency ticket by an ambulance will also attract a Rs 10,000 penalty. NHAI said all equipment, medicines and staff must be provided as required under contract agreements, failing which a Rs 10,000 penalty will be imposed.
To strengthen monitoring, AIS-140-compliant GPS devices have been installed on all on-road units, including ambulances, cranes and patrolling vehicles deployed on NHAI projects. The agency said the system would enable effective implementation of the NHAI Care System and help track response times.
"Dedicated Android Mobile Device (Mobile Data Terminal-MDT) with IoT Sim has been provided to each of the on-road units," it said. The government has also rolled out the 1033 helpline across the national highway network.
NHAI said delays in accident response times had been flagged by the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety as well as in a CAG performance audit. "Therefore, all Project Directors (PDs) and Regional Officers (ROs) are directed to ensure strict compliance of the guidelines being issued vide this circular as the same concerns the Public Health and Safety and any laxity in this regard shall not be overlooked," it said.
The new norms introduce fixed response deadlines, GPS-backed monitoring and financial penalties for lapses, in a move aimed at reducing emergency response times and strengthening road safety on national highways.