Bike ambulances in remote places of India soon? Govt proposes new rules

The government on Monday proposed a regulatory framework for two-wheeled road ambulances, paving the way for their use in providing faster emergency medical response in rural, remote and hilly areas.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, in a draft notification, proposed amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR), 1989, to create a separate regulatory category for two-wheeled road ambulances.

According to the ministry, two-wheeled road ambulances can help improve emergency response and last-mile access to medical care, particularly in areas with difficult terrain or limited road connectivity.

Currently, such vehicles are not recognised as a distinct category under the CMVR, and there are no national standards governing their construction, functional safety, patient-handling systems, type approval, registration or fitness inspection.

The draft proposes adoption of Automotive Industry Standard (AIS)-209 (Part 1):2026, which lays down construction and functional requirements for life support two-wheeled road ambulances.

Under the proposal, L2-category two-wheeled road ambulances manufactured on or after October 1, 2027, will have to comply with the standard.

Emergency top lights fitted on these vehicles will also be required to meet the same standard from that date.

The draft provides that such ambulances may be registered to operate only in areas identified by the respective state governments.

The ministry has proposed treating two-wheeled road ambulances as transport vehicles, making them subject to mandatory fitness certification, with renewal every two years.

Fitness inspections will include checks on the secure mounting of the ambulance accessory or patient-conveyance unit, tyres and rims, emergency warning lights, stretcher locking mechanism, patient-restraint systems, loading and unloading mechanisms, and the availability and validity of fire extinguishers.

The standard prescribes requirements relating to vehicle stability, braking performance, parking brake, gradeability, rear visibility, coupling integrity, emergency warning devices, and safe loading, restraint and protection of patients from environmental exposure.

According to the ministry, the proposed framework is expected to improve safety and accountability in the design and operation of two-wheeled road ambulances while supporting quicker emergency response in places where larger ambulances may not be able to reach.