Pune RTO fixes fare charges, initiates action against ‘fake ambulances’

The revised fare rates decided by the RTO are applicable across the Pune district and it is mandatory for the service provider to display the rate card inside the vehicle.

After the Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) lodged an FIR against an ambulance service operator for overcharging a Covid positive patient, the RTO has revised fare charges for service providers in order to prevent patients from being fleeced. The transport office has also initiated a special drive on ‘fake ambulances’ running on the city roads.

In addition, after every ride, the ambulance service provider must sanitise the vehicle from inside and out. (Pratham Gokhale/HT Photo. Representative image)

The revised fare rates decided by the RTO are applicable across the Pune district and it is mandatory for the service provider to display the rate card inside the vehicle. Rates are applicable from the boarding of the patient in the ambulance to the return journey of the driver. It is mandatory to have a GPS system in the ambulance. In addition, after every ride, the ambulance service provider must sanitise the vehicle from inside and out.

The vehicle which was used in this case for transportation of the patient was actually a mobile van clinic turned into an ambulance without legal registration at Pune RTO. The ambulance driver charged Rs 8,000 for a 7 km journey from Bibwewadi to Karvenagar area.

“When we got to know about the incident and got instructions from the Pune district collector to enquire about the issue, immediately a team of RTO inspectors was deployed to investigate. To our notice, it came that the vehicle which was used for transportation is not actually an ambulance but registered as a mobile clinic with the Pune RTO. The major difference in both the vehicles is that, for an ambulance, RTO tax needs to be paid every year and for this mobile clinic one-time tax is paid which is beneficiary for the owner. So we have seized the vehicle and lodged an FIR against the owner,” said Pune regional transport officer Ajit Shinde.

The FIR has been lodged at the Bibwewadi police station against ‘Sanjivani ambulance services’ booked under relevant sections of the Disaster Management Act and the Motor Vehicle Act.

“Currently there are only 21 registered mobile clinics vans under the Pune RTO and through this case, it has come to light some private players are using mobile clinic vans as an ambulance. So we are now going to deploy a special squad for checking of mobile clinics and other suspected ambulances across the city. And if anyone is committing such an offence then they will face the action. Also, Pune RTO has fixed the rates of the ambulance services in the city and if any ambulance service provider is overcharging from public then police complaint will be lodged against them,” added Shinde.

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The standard rates for Ambulance services set by the RTO

Type of ambulance Vehicle Maruti Van ambulance vehicle

Rate for first 2 hours or 25 kms Rs 500

Rate per km (after 2 hours) Rs 11

Rate per hour for waiting Rs 100

Type of ambulance Vehicle Tata Sumo / Matador Van or similar type of ambulance vehicle build over the chassis

Rate for first 2 hours or 25 kms Rs 600

Rate per km (after 2 hours) Rs 12

Rate per hour for waiting Rs 125

Type of ambulance Vehicle Tata 407 / Swaraj Mazada or similar type of ambulance vehicle build over the chassis

Rate for first 2 hours or 25 kms Rs 900

Rate per km (after 2 hours) Rs 13

Rate per hour for waiting Rs 150

Helpline number on which patients can contact if ambulance service providers overcharge: 020-26058080 / 26058090