NHAI issues new guidelines requiring ambulances to respond to highway accidents within 10 minutes and, if delayed, face a ₹10,000 penalty. The policy links operational expectations to measurable response time, directing emergency services to reach incident sites quickly.
The guidelines also specify that ambulances should transport accident victims to the nearest hospital within 1 hour of accepting the treatment request. The measures are framed as part of broader efforts to improve emergency response and reduce delays between the time of an accident and hospital care. One outlet highlights the response requirement tied to a specific geographic condition—within 10 km of highway accidents—while another emphasizes the overall 1-hour transfer target from ticket acceptance. Both accounts present the same core elements: a 10-minute initial response expectation, a 1-hour time to reach the nearest hospital after acceptance, and a financial penalty for delay.
