India moves to regulate two-wheeled ambulances with new safety standards

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has released a draft notification that could bring two-wheeled road ambulances under a formal regulatory framework for the first time. The proposal aims to close safety and compliance gaps for these compact emergency vehicles, which are intended to help patients reach care faster in areas where larger ambulances may struggle to operate.

At present, two-wheeled road ambulances are not treated as a distinct category under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. That means there are no national rules covering their construction, safety standards, patient-handling systems, type approval, registration or fitness inspection.

MoRTH says the draft amendments are designed to change that by introducing a clear legal and technical structure for the vehicles. The ministry said the vehicles “can support rapid emergency response and last-mile access to medical care, in rural and remote locations as well as hilly terrain."

Standards for construction and safety

The proposed framework is based on ‘AIS-209 (Part 1):2026 - Construction and Functional Requirements for Life Support Two-Wheeled Road Ambulances.’ Under the draft, two-wheeled road ambulances of the L2 category manufactured on or after October 1, 2027, would need to comply with this standard. The ministry also proposes that top lights fitted on these ambulances must meet the same requirement from October 1, 2027.

MoRTH defines a two-wheeled road ambulance as “an L2-category vehicle fitted or attached with an ambulance accessory unit or patient-conveyance system." The standard lays out several safety-related areas, including vehicle stability, braking performance, parking brake and gradeability requirements, rear visibility, coupling integrity, emergency conspicuity and warning devices, as well as safe patient loading, restraint and protection from environmental exposure.

Fitness and operating limits

The draft says these ambulances may be registered to operate only in areas decided by the respective state governments. They will also be treated as transport vehicles and will need a certificate of fitness renewed every two years.

The fitness inspection will examine the secure mounting of the ambulance accessory or patient-conveyance unit, along with tyres and rims, emergency warning lights, the patient stretcher and locking mechanism, patient-restraint systems, loading and unloading mechanisms, and the availability, accessibility and validity of the fire extinguisher.

What happens next

According to the ministry, the proposed framework is meant to bring “greater safety and accountability to the design and operation of two-wheeled road ambulances." It added that the move “will also support faster emergency response and improve access to emergency medical care in locations where conventional ambulances may encounter mobility or access constraints."

(With inputs from ANI)

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