Now Reading: NHAI sets 10-minute ambulance response time, Rs 10,000 penalty
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NHAI sets 10-minute ambulance response time, Rs 10,000 penalty
NHAI has mandated that ambulances on national highways must reach any accident site within 10 km in 10 minutes, failing which a Rs 10,000 penalty per incident will be imposed. The agency…
The Story in Brief
NHAI has mandated that ambulances on national highways must reach any accident site within 10 km in 10 minutes, failing which a Rs 10,000 penalty per incident will be imposed. The agency also said victims must be taken to the nearest hospital within one hour of ticket acceptance, with the same penalty for delays.
The new rules, reported by Hindustan Times, come under the NHAI Care System and apply to roughly 3,000 ambulances and 1,000 patrolling vehicles covering 50,000 km of highways. AIS-140 compliant GPS devices and dedicated Android devices with IoT sims have been installed on all on-road units. The government has also rolled out helpline number 1033 for the network.
The Indian Opinion
This is a step forward, but past NHAI guidelines have often been poorly enforced. The real test will be whether GPS data is actively monitored and penalties actually deducted from contractors. Cynics will dismiss it as another circular, but the Supreme Court and CAG have flagged delayed responses as a life-and-death issue. Watch for pilot audits on stretches with high accident density to see if the 10-minute target holds.
Source: hindustantimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
