Hyderabad: A study conducted by the Hyderabad Traffic Police from July 23 to July 27 found that ambulance drivers in the city use sirens in only 49% of cases for genuine emergencies.
In the remaining 51% of instances, the sirens are employed primarily to navigate through traffic. The investigation involved checks on 310 ambulances, revealing a troubling trend of sirens being misused for non-emergency purposes, which has raised significant concerns about its impact on traffic flow.
Of the total 310 inspected ambulances, 152 were transporting patients, while 20 were used for sample collection. The police also found that 17 ambulances were used for shifting dead bodies.
However, the most concerning statistic was that 121 ambulances, or nearly 40% of the total, were using sirens for empty vehicles and other unspecified reasons.
K Sreenivasa Reddy, the Commissioner of Police for Hyderabad City, emphasized the seriousness of this misuse and its implications for public safety and traffic management.
Hyderabad police convene meeting
In response to the findings regarding the misuse of ambulance sirens, the Hyderabad police convened a meeting with hospital management, the ambulance drivers’ association, and diagnostic laboratories.
The discussion focused on the issues faced by regular commuters due to this misuse, and the police issued warnings of potential legal action for violations.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) P Vishwa Prasad noted that five to six ambulances pass through a junction every hour in Hyderabad, prompting the traffic police to switch the traffic signal system from automatic to manual mode.
This change leads to increased traffic congestion due to the high volume of ambulances. He urged drivers to refrain from unethical practices and to use sirens only in genuine emergencies.
The police announced that they would develop software to prioritize emergency vehicles and urged drivers to use sirens exclusively when transporting patients in genuine emergency situations.
