The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has introduced stricter response-time standards for ambulances operating on its highway projects, requiring them to reach accident sites within 10 minutes in specified areas or face a ₹10,000 penalty.
Under the new guidelines issued on Wednesday, ambulances must reach crash sites within 10 minutes when an accident occurs within 10 km of a toll plaza. For incidents farther away, the permissible response time will increase proportionately according to distance.
The authority has also directed ambulances to begin moving within two minutes of an emergency ticket being accepted. Delays beyond the prescribed time will attract an additional ₹5,000 penalty for every extra minute or part thereof. Ambulance movement and response times will be monitored using GPS data and the NHAI’s IMS Care dashboard.
NHAI has further set a one-hour limit for transporting accident victims to the nearest hospital after an emergency ticket is accepted. A ₹10,000 penalty will be imposed for every delay beyond the prescribed time.
The new norms also require ambulances to have AIS-140-compliant GPS devices. Contractors failing to maintain the required GPS systems or keep ambulances visible on the IMS Care dashboard will face a ₹2,500 daily penalty.
Rejecting an emergency ticket will attract a ₹10,000 penalty per incident. Contractors can also be fined ₹10,000 during inspections if required medical equipment, medicines or staff are found missing or inadequate.
Ambulance operators have additionally been instructed to conduct a daily dry run or mock drill and travel at least 5 km every 24 hours. The requirement will not apply on days when an ambulance attends an accident and travels more than 5 km while responding to the emergency.
Road safety experts welcomed the 10-minute response target, saying measurable standards could improve emergency care and increase survival chances following crashes. IIT Madras road safety expert Prof Venkatesh Balasubramanian said the target was a positive step, though response times should eventually be reduced further.
He also stressed that reaching accident sites quickly is only the first stage of emergency care. Ambulance operations should be planned using accident patterns and traffic data, while hospitals and trauma centers must be mapped and equipped to treat different types of crash injuries.
