NHAI Sets 10-Minute Highway Ambulance Rule with ₹10,000 Fine for Delays
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in New Delhi has set a mandatory 10-minute deadline for ambulances deployed on national highways to reach accident sites located within a 10-kilometre vicinity. Announced on Wednesday as part of new policy guidelines to strengthen the agency's Incident Management System, the rule imposes a penalty of ₹10,000 per incident for failing to meet the required response time.
Under the new service-level benchmarks, ambulances are also required to bring accident victims to the nearest hospital within one hour from the time an emergency ticket is accepted. Failure to transport victims within this one-hour window will attract a separate penalty of ₹10,000. Additionally, any rejection of an emergency ticket by an ambulance operator will result in a ₹10,000 fine.
For incident locations beyond 10 kilometres, the allowed response time will be proportionally increased. The NHAI stated that adherence to response times will be verified using GPS data and the IMS Care Dashboard. To facilitate monitoring, AIS-140 compliant GPS devices have been installed on all on-road units, and dedicated Android mobile devices equipped with IoT SIM cards have been provided to each unit.
The updated guidelines cover approximately 3,000 ambulances as well as 1,000 patrolling vehicles and cranes operating across 50,000 kilometres of highways under NHAI management. Operators are required to maintain all equipment, medicines, and staffing levels as mandated in their respective contract agreements, with a ₹10,000 penalty specified for non-compliance.
The policy measures follow concerns regarding response delays raised by the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety and a performance audit conducted by the Comptroller and Auditor General. To assist the public, the government has rolled out the helpline number 1033 across the National Highway network.
NHAI directed all Project Directors and Regional Officers to enforce strict compliance with the circular, emphasizing that the directive concerns public health and safety and that any laxity will not be overlooked.
