NHAI unveils strict highway ambulance rules with ₹10,000 fines
Under the new norms announced on Wednesday, NHAI is rolling out strict rules for ambulances on highways.
If an ambulance takes more than 10 minutes to reach an accident within 10km of a toll booth, or more than 1 hour to get victims to the nearest hospital after an emergency ticket is accepted, it'll cost them ₹10,000 per incident.
The goal is faster help when it matters most.
NHAI mandates ambulance 2 minutes dispatch
For accidents farther away, response times will depend on the distance.
Ambulances must leave within 2 minutes after an emergency ticket is accepted or pay ₹5,000 for every extra minute or part thereof they wait.
If their GPS isn't working or can't be tracked, that's another ₹2,500 fine each day.
The rejection of any emergency ticket by an on-road unit will attract a ₹10,000 penalty per incident, and penalties can also apply if equipment, medicines, or staff are found unavailable or deficient against the requirement of the relevant contract.
Daily mock drills are now mandatory, and ambulances must conduct a daily dry run or mock drill and travel at least 5km every 24 hours unless the ambulance is attending an accident and its total movement that day exceeds 5km.