Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, has given the official green light for pan-India ambulance taxis. Wagon Cab, a Gurugram-based start-up has initiated the service owing to the increase in the number of road accidents in India.
The initial phase will see 200 functional ambulance-taxis. These will initially only start servicing the Delhi-NCR region; but the company also has plans to offer these vehicles throughout the country, soon. The drivers will be trained to provide first aid and handle difficult situations but will have to be paid Rs 500 extra.
At the launch, Uttam Bose, CEO and founder of Wagon Cabs said, "Time plays a very important role in all our lives, especially in the context of road accidents, with the launch of Hospital Wagon we are looking forward to make the roads of Delhi NCR, safer.”
The initiative is also supported by an NGO called Das Foundation. It's founder, Yogita Bhayana said, "I firmly believe that this particular initiative will really help out those in need. Most of the drivers spend maximum time on roads, they are real ambassadors of road safety, and with their help a lot can be achieved.”
These ambulance-taxis can be booked in Delhi-NCR via Wagon Cab's mobile app, which is is available for download on the Google Play Store for Android and on the App Store for iOS.
With the ever-growing rate of road accidents, this surely is a small, but right step forward.