Getting emergency help after a highway accident could soon become faster and more organized.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has introduced the new NHAI Care System to improve the response to road accidents.
The new system replaces the earlier Emergency Response System (ERS) with Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD).
Under NHAI Care, ambulances, cranes and patrol vehicles working on NHAI highways will be connected to a digital monitoring system.
They will have GPS devices along with mobile phones or tablets.
A 24-hour call centre will also monitor emergency responses in real time.
A team of doctors will be available to provide assistance when required.
New Time Limits for Accident Response
NHAI found that the earlier system was not being used effectively in some cases, leading to delays in helping accident victims.
To address this issue, the NHAI Care System has now been made mandatory for all on-road emergency vehicles.
All ambulances, cranes and patrol vehicles deployed on NHAI projects must have AIS-140 compliant GPS devices.
The new system has also introduced strict response timelines:
Accident reports must be acknowledged within 1 minute.
The emergency vehicle must start moving within 2 minutes.
The accident site should be reached within 10 minutes if it is within a 10-km radius.
The accident victim should be taken to the nearest hospital within 1 hour of accepting the emergency ticket.
These timelines will be tracked through GPS and the NHAI Care dashboard.
Heavy Penalties for Delays and Negligence
NHAI has also introduced financial penalties for contractors and agencies that fail to follow the new rules.
For example, failure to keep the NHAI Care app or GPS system operational can attract a ₹2,500 daily penalty.
Rejecting an emergency ticket can result in a ₹10,000 penalty per incident.
If an ambulance takes longer than the permitted time to start moving, a penalty of ₹5,000 for every additional minute can be imposed.
Similarly, delays in reaching the accident site or hospital can attract a ₹10,000 penalty per event.
The system will automatically calculate these penalties, which can be deducted from the agency’s monthly payments. The total penalty can go up to ₹2.5 lakh per month.
Ambulances Will Also Face Regular Checks
The new rules go beyond response time.
Ambulances must have the required equipment, medicines and staff, including drivers and emergency medical technicians.
Ambulances are also required to conduct a daily mock drill of at least 5 km every 24 hours.
However, the mock drill requirement will not apply if the ambulance has already travelled more than 5 km while responding to an actual accident that day.
Failure to conduct the required drill can lead to a ₹10,000 monthly penalty or a reduction in monthly payments.
Why Has NHAI Tightened the Rules?
The Supreme Court’s Road Safety Committee and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) have raised concerns about delays in ambulance services following road accidents.
NHAI has therefore instructed its regional officers and project directors to strictly monitor compliance with the new system.
A dedicated support system has also been provided for technical problems related to the NHAI Care and IMS Care systems.
People or agencies facing technical issues with the IMS Care system or NHAI Care application can report them through the designated support email.
