Hyderabad: To raise awareness about critical ambulance operations, the Hyderabad Traffic Police on Saturday, March 15, organized a program focusing on the misuse of ambulances and adherence to traffic and safety regulations.
Addressing the meeting, joint commissioner of the transport department, C Ramesh emphasized the correct usage of ambulance sirens. He said that ambulances are lifesaving vehicles and should never be misused.
Joint commissioner of traffic police Joel Davis shared concerns about violations conducted by ambulance drivers, revealing that a considerable number of ambulances ply without a fitness certificate and fail to pay taxes.
“Out of nearly 1 crore vehicles in Hyderabad, approximately 6,000 are ambulances. Even 10 percent misuse of ambulances can lead to a gridlock at junctions. The traffic police will not spare ambulance drivers found guilty of misusing the sirens for non-emergency purposes. Sirens should only be used during critical emergencies,” he said.
51% of ambulance drivers in Hyderabad misuse sirens, police find
He further stressed on the need to get fitness certificates for ambulances and punishing drivers who drive under the influence of alcohol while on duty, thus risking the lives of the patient and other members in the vehicles. “I strongly suggest that hospitals and ambulance agencies should regularly check their drivers with breath analyzers before going on duty,” he said.
The meeting also emphasized the need for improved coordination between hospital management, ambulance agencies, and traffic police. To achieve this, a working group comprising doctors, ambulance providers, drivers, and hospital administrators was proposed to streamline operations and ensure compliance with regulations.
Authorities advised hospital management to notify the traffic control room at 8712660600 about critical patient transfers to facilitate immediate traffic support and junction clearance.
The meeting was attended by over 200 representatives from hospital managements, private ambulance agencies, and diagnostic centres.
