Centre notifies safety and fitness rules for two-wheeled road ambulances
The road transport ministry has notified fitness and safety checks for bike ambulances, including stretcher, restraint and warning-light inspections.
The Centre has notified safety and fitness requirements for two-wheeled road ambulances, according to a report by The New Indian Express. The notification was issued on October 13 after the ministry considered objections and suggestions from the public. It amends the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, through the Central Motor Vehicles (Thirteenth Amendment) Rules, 2026.
Key provisions
- The fitness certificate of a two-wheeled road ambulance must be renewed every two years.
- State governments will decide in which areas such ambulances can be registered and ply.
- A detailed inspection checklist covers the mounting of the patient unit, emergency warning lights, the stretcher and its locking mechanism, and the patient restraint system.
- The stretcher loading and unloading mechanism must work smoothly without jamming or instability.
- Two-wheeled ambulances in the L2 category manufactured on or after October 1, 2027 must comply with AIS-209 (Part 1):2026.
The report says there were no national requirements so far for the construction, patient-handling systems, type approval, registration and fitness inspection of such vehicles. The rules come into force on the date of final publication in the Official Gazette.
Why it matters for ambulance owners and drivers
Operators planning to run or buy bike ambulances will need vehicles that meet the new standard and pass periodic fitness inspections.
Read the full report at the source: The New Indian Express
This is a summary written by the Ambulance Owner Association. The facts are from the source named above.