Safety first; new Omnis can no longer run as ambulances

The Transport Department, keeping safety and space concerns as priorities, has decided not to register new Maruti Omni vans as Emergency Response Service Ambulances from now on. While many individual operators have decried the move, some have welcomed it saying safety is the prime concern. Though the order to this effect was issued on May 10, it came to light only when operators went to regional transport offices to get Fitness Certificate (FC). The RTOs squarely refused to renew the FC citing the May 10 order. The order is based on a request from the Health Department, which has said that according to the specifications of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Omnis are not fit to be operated as basic lifesaving ambulances for various reasons, including safety and space for patients, attendants and medical equipment. Negotiating skills B.M. Praveen from Suraksha Ambulance Service, Mangaluru, said Omnis can negotiate heavy traffic in urban areas and ply through the smallest of lanes. Further, they are more cost-effective compared to bigger vehicles. The department has kept operators in the dark, he said, and many of them who have bought Omni ambulances on loan are bound to suffer. Prasad, from Ganesh Ambulance Service, Mangaluru, said many philanthropic individuals/organisations donate Omni ambulances to NGOs because of its low cost (about ₹3.5 lakh). Such ambulances are used to provide free service to the poor, he said. There are about 280 Omni ambulances in Dakshina Kannada district, he added. However, T.G. Krishnamurthy, proprietor of Sanjeevini Ambulance Service, Bengaluru, who owns a fleet of 68 vehicles, endorsed the department’s decision saying Omnis indeed lacked safety. Bengaluru alone has over 600 Omni ambulances, he said. He offered a cost-effective alternative in Suzuki Eco vehicles, adding that one has to go with the national policy. Production of Maruti Omni ambulances would stop shortly, Mr. Krishnamurthy said. FCs to be issued When The Hindu contacted L. Hemanth Kumar, Additional Commissioner of Transport (Administration), he said a circular would immediately be issued paving the way for issuing FCs to existing Omnis. Regarding the complete ban on registering new vehicles, Mr. Kumar said it is being done on the recommendations of the Health and Family Welfare Department. Source: The Hindu