Bike Ambulances to Hit Roads Soon? MoRTH Issues Draft Guidelines for Safety, Regulation

Shortly after updating the functional and structural standards for ambulances in India, and proposing to recognise new types of special-purpose ambulances, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is now considering a radical new measure that could help increase access to life-saving healthcare in congested or remote areas with roads or terrain unsuitable for large vehicles to pass through. A new draft notification has been issued to establish a regulatory framework allowing the use of two-wheeled bike ambulances in India.

The ministry will have to amend the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, in order to define standards and vehicle eligibility. A 30-day period has now opened, in which stakeholders and the public can submit comments, following which adjustments can be made and the rules will be finalised.

While bike ambulances are in use, they are not currently recognised as an official vehicle category and are therefore not subject to accountability or adherence to any national standards; a regulatory gap identified by the ministry. The new draft framework proposes specific requirements for their construction and safety.

Standards for patient conveyance, safe restraint, loading and unloading processes, and protection from the environment are all defined in the draft. Bike ambulances will also be subject to registration and routine inspections, with a certificate of fitness that will need to be renewed every two years.  

For a bike with a “fitted or attached ambulance accessory unit” to be certified, it will need to be compliant with the L2 category and be manufactured on or after October 1, 2027. This means no bikes currently functioning as ambulances will be certifiable.

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Bikes must also be equipped with emergency top lights in compliance with existing standards. The framework will include definitions of tyres and rims, warning lights, a stretcher and its locking mechanisms. Braking, stability, gradeability, and rear visibility will also be regulated.

Individual state governments will have the ability to determine how and where bike ambulances are allowed to operate. Each one will also have to carry a fire extinguisher, much like standard ambulances.