The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) introduces new rules for highway ambulances, setting time limits for emergency response. Ambulances are required to begin moving within two minutes of accepting an emergency alert. They are then given up to 10 minutes to reach the crash site, and up to one hour to transport the accident victim to the nearest hospital.
The guidelines also require ambulance services to track and report response activity on national highways. Multiple outlets note that delays can lead to penalties, including fines of up to Rs 10,000 per incident. The rules are framed as a way to improve monitoring of ambulance response and reduce turnaround times after accidents on highways.
While the outlets largely focus on the same operational timelines and enforcement approach, the emphasis varies between detailing the specific minutes for each stage of response and highlighting the compliance and tracking component as part of the wider NHAI oversight.
