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Make way for ambulances!

While the common consensus is that most people don't give way to ambulances, the traffic top cop disagrees

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Mumbai, a city that is synonymous with traffic and rash drivers, has earned itself a bad name when it comes to emergencies. Serious life-threatening situations where emergency vehicles, such as ambulances, have to rush from one area to another are often compelled to slow down. There are several reasons for this because of which emergency situations become even more complicated.

An ambulance blares its siren signals to convey an emergency, one where someone's life is at stake. However, despite these loud sirens, ambulances in the city face a huge problem trying to navigate through jammed roads. While common sense demands that everyone, in the way of the vehicle, should move aside and allow the ambulance to pass through, most ignore it.

Shakti Achlekar, an ambulance driver, shares, "I have been driving ambulances for a long time and it is true that it is difficult to move through the city. Many vehicles don't give way despite the loud siren and consistent honking."

Echoing Achlekar's concern, Shriyam Chaturvedi, Nepean Sea Road resident, says, "I have seen people ignoring an ambulance that is tailing behind cars and honking to get some space to move ahead. People have become more and more insensitive towards the entire issue. I also feel that the traffic police on the roads is not very forthcoming in this regard."

However, there are certain citizens who are concerned and try to do their best to help the emergency vehicles pass through. It's a pity that their efforts are often hampered by factors like bad roads, ones that are responsible for the slowing down of the overall speed of the vehicles, and narrower roads that make it difficult to move about in an already jammed-up road.

The Mumbai traffic police, along with Radhee Disaster and Education Foundation and a finance firm Shriram Transport Finance Co. Ltd., launched an exclusive campaign a few months ago to tackle this issue. Called 'Make Way For Ambulance', the initiative included starting a helpline.

While taking a critical patient from one place to another, the ambulance service provider is required to call the helpline and inform the concerned about the route. The traffic police will then accompany the ambulance and make way for it, so no time is wasted.

Contradicting the general opinion, Dr. B.K. Upadhyay, Joint Commissioner of Police (traffic) says, "Since the launch of the initiative, there has been an increase in the level of awareness among traffic cops as well as citizens. Now, there is better access for ambulances and coordination; in case of an ambulance passing by, my men are able to handle it better. Also, we are not receiving many calls on the helpline number as the scenario on the ground has changed."

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