Govt fixes max tariff for pvt ambulance

LUCKNOW: The state government has fixed the maximum tariff to be charged by ambulance service providers at private hospitals in order to bring about uniformity in the rates across the state and stop overcharging of patients and their attendants. The maximum tariff for the Type-A ambulances/medical first responders has been fixed at Rs 500 for first 10 km and above that Rs 10 per km.

LUCKNOW: The state government has fixed the maximum tariff to be charged by ambulance service providers at private hospitals in order to bring about uniformity in the rates across the state and stop overcharging of patients and their attendants.

The maximum tariff for the Type-A ambulances/medical first responders has been fixed at Rs 500 for first 10 km and above that Rs 10 per km, while Type-B road ambulances/ patient transport ambulance (the cost of which is up to Rs 8 lakh such as Maruti Omni, Tata Magic etc) can charge maximum fare of Rs 1,000 for per 10 km and Rs 20 per extra km.

Similarly, the government has fixed the maximum fare for Type-C road ambulances/basic life support ambulances (more than Rs 8 lakh and up to Rs 10 lakh like Mahindra Bolero) at Rs 1500 for first 10 km and then Rs 25 per extra km. The Type-D road ambulances/advance life support ambulances (more than Rs 10 lakh such as Tata Winger, Force Traveler and Tata 407) cannot charge more than Rs 2,000 for first 10 km and Rs 30 per extra km.

The decision comes after the government received complaints about private hospital ambulance operators charging exorbitant rates when the Covid pandemic was at its peak in the state. A circular issued by principal secretary, transport, Rajesh Kumar Singh here on May 31 after the state transport authority passed a proposal in this regard warned that the transport department would cancel the ambulance’s registration besides cancelling the driver and the conductor’s driving licence if any ambulance operator was found charging more than what the government had fixed.

Transport commissioner Dheeraj Sahu said that road ambulances were free from the liability of taking a permit to ply and the state government also did not charge any tax from them. “This is because ambulance service is not a commercial venture but a social service and hence they are not supposed to overcharge,” he pointed out.