NHAI tightens norms: Rs 10k fine if its ambulances fail to reach crash site in 10mins
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has introduced stricter norms for ambulances, cranes, and patrolling vehicles deployed on its national highways. Under these new service-level agreements and key performance indicators, ambulances face a Rs 10,000 fine for failing to reach a crash site within 10 minutes, and an additional Rs 5,000 fine if they delay accepting a ticket.
Similar penalties apply to cranes and patrol vehicles for non-compliance with the 10-minute and 1-minute response times. NHAI has equipped over 3,000 ambulances and 1,000 patrol vehicles with GPS and dedicated mobile devices running the NHAI Care application to monitor their location and response times. The government's 24/7 helpline number 1033 assists in reporting incidents and booking ambulances.
NHAI's highways accounted for 49,675 deaths in 2024, making up a quarter of all 1.77 million road fatalities. Quick medical care can save around 50% of lives.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
